Hi, and welcome to my website… and blog!
I’m Kelsey Mango. I’m a 37 year old SAHM, and part time job coach for adults with disabilities, from DelCo Pa. I live with my husband Joe, my son Anthony (12), daughter Sophia (9), and son Theo (4). Our house is never quiet, its messy, chaotic and filled with love.
If I’m being totally honest, I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be writing about here yet. But that actually feels very on brand for me. My writing style tends to be a mix of “organized chaos” and “let’s see where this goes.” So, naturally, this blog might follow the same path.
I love writing picture books and chapter books filled with humor, inclusion, and heart. Heavy on the humor—because who doesn’t need a lighthearted laugh these days? And, as a mom, I can confirm that humor is what my kids gravitate toward the most. Quirky characters, sarcasm, and offbeat storytelling are the books that end up with worn bindings and smudged covers in our house. They’re the ones that get read one more time… and then one more time after that.
Those are the kinds of stories I want to create. The ones that makes kids laugh, feel seen, and fall in love with reading.
When I write, ideas usually pop into my head at the most random times—like when I should absolutely be asleep at 3 a.m. I’ll grab my phone, type a few messy notes, and tell myself I’ll remember the rest in the morning (spoiler: I don’t).
I’ll start with a vague idea of where I think the story will go, what themes I might touch on… and then I let my characters take the wheel. Once they start, I’m not really in charge anymore. And honestly, that’s where the magic happens.
What are we reading right now, you ask? Well…
Some of the Mango family’s favorite books:
The Gumluck Series by Adam Rex (CB). We LOVE Gumluck, and have fallen head-over-heals for this quirky little noodle-head wizard. You simply must check it out.
Growing Home by Beth Ferry (MG). This writing is exactly what my daughter and I love to read together. It has dry humor, heart, sarcasm and characters that you just can’t forget. It’s fantastic.
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson (PB).
The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming (PB).
Dinosaurs on Kitty Island by Michael Slack (PB).
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang (PB).
Monkey and Cake books by Drew Daywalt (CB).
The Zombees by Justin Colón (PB).
The Pigeon Books by Mo Willems (PB).
Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Yarlett (PB).
Annie’s Cat is Sad by Heather Smith (PB).
Square (The Shapes Trilogy) by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen (PB).
The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach (PB).
Jasper & Ollie by Alex Willan (PB).
The Book of Rules by Brian Gehrlein (PB)
Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo (PB).
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli (PB).
Norman Didn’t Do It! by Ryan Higgins (PB).
Pine and Boof by Ross Burach (PB)
That’s all for now! Thank you for sticking around! Whether you’re a reader, a fellow writer, a parent, or just someone who stumbled in by accident (hi!), I’m so glad you’re along for the ride. I can’t wait to share bits of my writing journey, inspiration, and maybe a few behind-the-scenes struggles and celebrations along the way.
Oh, wait! Before you go… keep a lookout for my next post all about Down syndrome. We celebrate that big in my family, and its a major writing inspiration for me too!