Ep. 101: Ella's Way — How One Children's Book Sparked a Kindness Movement (Sherry Cerino) — Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast

Episode Summary

Sherry Cerino is a children's book author and founder of Ella's Way, a nonprofit built on a simple but powerful mission: teaching kids kindness, diversity awareness, and acceptance through storytelling.

Sherry traces her journey from writing her debut book, Ella and the All Stars — where Ella navigates her world alongside a cast of unique underwater friends — to growing Ella's Way from a small passion project into a full nonprofit that supports authors and equips schools and community programs with resources.

She shares what it actually takes to build a children's book business: navigating the publishing world, connecting with other authors, and turning a story idea into something that reaches real classrooms and real kids. It's a conversation about how literature shapes empathy in young readers — and an invitation for aspiring authors to bring more kindness into the world through their own stories.

In This Episode:

How Ella and the All Stars became the foundation for a larger mission
The evolution of Ella's Way from idea to nonprofit
How Ella's Way supports schools, community programs, and a growing network of children's authors
Sherry's advice for navigating the publishing landscape
Why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for teaching empathy and acceptance

Takeaways:

Sherry Cerino, a children's book author, founded Ella's Way to promote diversity and kindness.
Ella's Way began with the publication of Sherry's first book, Ella and the All Stars, in 2013.
The organization supports authors by purchasing their books and donating them to schools and libraries.
Ella's Way emphasizes the importance of kindness and acceptance in children's literature.
Authors within Ella's Way benefit from collaboration and support during quarterly meetings and special projects.
The awards program for children's books encourages authors to focus on themes of kindness and diversity.

Links referenced in this episode:

Companies mentioned in this episode:

Ella's Way