Allen, Nancy Kelly 1949–

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Allen, Nancy Kelly 1949–

Personal

Born January 9, 1949, in Knott County, KY; daughter of John Riley (a coal miner) and Dorothy (a secretary; maiden name, Dobson) Kelly; married Larry James Allen (a health administrator), October 14, 1971. Education: Cumberland College, B.A., 1970; Morehead State University, M.Ed., 1980; University of Kentucky, M.L.S., 1986. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, crafts.

Addresses

Home—7932 Lotts Creek Rd., Hazard, KY 41701. Agent—Karen Mendez Smith, 2685 Spurr Rd., Lexington, KY 40511.

Career

Writer. Social worker, 1971–76; Walkertown Primary School, Hazard, KY, library media specialist, 1977–. Also worked as a middle-school social-studies teacher. ARH Hospital Board, member.

Member

Kentucky School Media Association.

Awards, Honors

Writing grant, Kentucky Foundation for Women; Appalachian Writers Award for Children's Literature, 2005, for On the Banks of the Amazon.

Writings

Once upon a Dime: A Math Adventure, illustrated by Adam Doyle, Charlesbridge (Watertown, MA), 1999.

On the Banks of the Amazon, illustrated by Elizabeth Driessen, Raven Tree Press (Green Bay, WI), 2004.

Whose Work Is This?: A Look at Things Animals Make—Pearls, Milk, and Honey, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2005.

Whose Sound Is This?: A Look at Animal Noises—Chirps, Clicks, and Hoots, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2005.

Whose Food Is This?: A Look at What Animals Eat—Leaves, Bugs, and Nuts, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2005.

Daniel Boone: Trailblazer, illustrated by Joan C. Waites, Pelican Publishing (Gretna, LA), 2005.

The Munched-Up Flower Garden, illustrated by K. Michael Crawford, Red Rock Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Sidelights

Kentucky native Nancy Kelly Allen began writing after retiring from her career as an elementary-school librarian. Her books, which include Whose Food Is This?: A Look at What Animals Eat—Leaves, Bugs, and Nuts, are inspired by Allen's surroundings; she lives in a log cabin nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, the same house where she grew up. According to a Raven Tree Press Web site biographer, Allen's "inspiration comes from reading and introducing so many picture books to students. Her career as a primary school librarian enabled her to come in contact with a wide variety of wonderful books. She also had a father who loved to entertain her with stories he concocted."

Part of a longer nonfiction series, Whose Food Is This? is one of several nature-based informational books Allen has produced. The volume explores the eating habits of various animals and enhances core information with a variety of fun facts. Brightly colored, collage illustrations accompany the text, which is organized in a question-and-answer format. Reviewing the book, Gillian Engberg predicted in Booklist that "young listeners will delight in chanting along with the recurring question" stated in the book's title, and deemed Whose Food Is This? appropriate "for classroom use or lap sharing."

Enhanced by vivid watercolor paintings by Betty Dreissen, Allen's award-winning picture book On the Banks of the Amazon follows two wildlife hunters who discover the changing beauty of the Amazonian region over the course of a single day. Praising Allen's "factually accurate" study of this unique environment, School Library Journal contributor Ann Welton wrote that the 2003 title serves as a "solid introduction to the rain forest and the dwellers therein."

Allen told SATA: "I was born and raised in Knott County, Kentucky, and continue to live in the same log house where I grew up. A two-room school about a mile up the road kept me busy reading, writing, and out of trouble most of the time from the first through the eighth grades. The school library was simply a small shelf lined with books. Occasionally, when the bookmobile made an appearance, the hustle and bustle of the classroom sounded like Christmas.

"My journey toward the world of writing has been uphill and taken twists and turns like a winding mountain road. I started my career as a social worker, later became a middle-school social-studies teacher before becoming a primary-school librarian. It wasn't until I was in graduate school that I fell in love with picture books. Those books grabbed me emotionally and wouldn't let go. Picture books had the power to transport me back in time to my favorite part of the day as a child: evening time. When supper was over and homework done, my dad regaled us with his never-ending supply of humorous stories, stories that had an indelible impact on my interest in writing. I consider my love of writing a gift of the spirit from my dad.

"I write every day. The writing may not be in the form of putting words on paper, but I am mentally creating characters, formulating plots, developing dialog, or figuring out an ending that resolves the conflict I have inflicted upon those unsuspecting characters. Story ideas are always emerging from one place or another. In fact, the entire time I'm working on a story, I'm letting another simmer on the back burner of my mind, sometimes two or three stories. Eventually, one of those will probably make it from the back burner to the printed page.

"As a writer I am very disciplined and goal-oriented, spending most of my free time writing manuscripts, researching material, reading, or studying the process of writing. Almost all my work has an element of humor thrown in, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. Humor is one of the most difficult areas of writing, but also one of the most enjoyable to create.

"Much of my fiction is written with an Appalachian theme. It is important for children to have access to books and articles that expose the positive attributes of the region in which they live and its people, hearing stories that affirm the value of the culture. Through the various types of media, Appalachian children are inundated with negative stereotypes which supposedly reflect our culture and heritage. When children read about customs and traditions and the way of life of their people and ancestors, the story should be presented with respect to that culture and in a positive light. Chil-dren need to feel good about themselves and their heritage. Picture books play an important role in counteracting negative images conveyed in the media.

"Of all the aspects of writing, I prefer stringing words together in an unusual way. Weaving words is challenging, even magical, especially when the words fit together like puzzle pieces and fall upon the ear like music. When the prose I write reads or sounds poetic, I know I've done something right. I'm a collector of words. If I see a word or phrase that was once used commonly, but is now out of fashion, I grab paper and pen to write it for safekeeping; otherwise, it will be forgotten. Then I'll search for a place to use it. 'Gumption' is one of those special words. I love the sound of it, even though it has been long out of vogue. Needless to say, 'gumption' has found a home in one of my stories."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 1, 2004, Gillian Engberg, review of Whose Food Is This?: A Look at What Animals Eat—Leaves, Bugs, and Nuts, p. 486.

School Library Journal, December, 2003, Ann Welton, review of On the Banks of the Amazon, p. 142; December, 2005, Barbara Auerbach, review of Daniel Boone: Trailblazer, p. 122.

Science Books & Films, January-February, 2005, Jayne R. Koester, review of Whose Work Is This?: A Look at Things Animals Make—Pearls, Milk, and Honey, p. 38.