Live Big with Catch-M Q&A
- Paola Dell Acqua
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
By Kat Kronenberg
This post is sponsored by Kat Kronenberg
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a complete hardcover set of all four books in Kat Kronenberg’s inspiring Live Big series!
Click here for the entry form: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/live-big-with-catch-m-by-kat-kronenberg-awareness-tour/
ABOUT THE BOOK
Celebrate the wonder of you and the gift of CATCH-M, too. Readers will see how CATCH-M helps them live big and grow love’s spark in their hearts, like a seed becoming a magnificent tree. Kat’s Live Big series implores readers to be the extraordinary star of their own story! And begin each day with a smile and say, “I am extraordinary!” “I love me.” “I can. I believe.”
INTERVIEW Q&A
Kat : your life is such an inspiring journey!
As a teacher of English as a foreign language, I love using picture books that teach values and bring hope, books that can be 'mirrors, windows or sliding doors' (Rudine Bishop, 1990)
I hope teachers can make the magic in your stories touch their students' lives!
1- Your inspiration surely came from difficult moments in your life, when and how did you discover writing could be the door to overcoming grief?
I was at a symphony with my husband, eyes closed, when an idea struck me like a bolt of lightning—the power of a smile can help us all live our best lives together. I couldn’t ignore it. From that moment on, the thought kept tapping me on the shoulder every day, urging me to dive deeper into everything I had studied, researched, and observed about people who choose to live big, extraordinary lives—no matter the storms they’ve faced. I realized a smile could be the perfect, relatable doorway for children, families, and classrooms to learn this life skill early, so they could carry it with them for life.
2- Your book has a powerful message of hope and love over fear and darkness. How do you expect parents and/or teachers would use the book? How would they help children who are going through difficult moments in their lives?
For most of my life, love and fear wrestled in my mind and heart. I discovered that when I slowed down and truly listened to love, my life became extraordinary—regardless of the storm I was in. In Live Big with CATCH-M, CATCH-M faces the same inner struggle. Readers watch him listen, choose love, and do good in the world. When children face hard times, parents and teachers can share CATCH-M’s story—with a beginning, middle, and end—so kids see that challenges can be faced and overcome. CATCH-M’s journey can inspire them to do the same: listen, choose love, and take action.
3- You said you lacked the life-skills to rise above pain. I imagined you have found them now, which are those life-skills? Do you think they are taught at school? If not, should they be? How?
The life skill I most want children to take from my books is the ability to say “YES” to life, no matter the storm. That “YES” shines outward through their smile and their belief that we are all here to live big, extraordinary lives together. I call these daily skills love’s powerful secrets: Dream Big, Love Big, and Think Big.
When I truly embrace and apply them, extraordinary things happen—my heart grows braver,
my life feels fuller, and I’m inspired to do good. I would love to see these skills built into school
curriculum. During COVID, I even created a blog framework to make it easy and fun for families and classrooms to weave social-emotional learning into daily life—helping CATCH-M become a household name for unity, not division.
4- Human beings are not present in your story, is there a particular reason for this?
Humans may appear in a future book. I did try including them, but the fit wasn’t right for the stories so far. I’ve grown to love the character I created—his name, his personality—and I think he could become a wonderful addition if he decides to wake me up at 4:00 a.m. demanding his story be told. There’s also a girl character I’m excited about who may join the series down the road.
5- Why have you identified yourself with a star?
I don’t see myself as a star, but I am deeply inspired by their wonder and power. As Carl Sagan said, “We are all made of stardust… in the cosmic perspective, we are precious.” I believe that spark of stardust in all of our hearts is the greatest reminder that we are chosen—we are miracles, created to do extraordinary things—if we can listen to the power and wonder of love guiding us from within. We can become the stars of our stories.
6- For people who may not have read the other books in the series, what is the meaning of CATCH-M?
CATCH-M is love. CATCH-M is light. CATCH-M is the gift of love’s wondrous spark in your
heart—your braveheart’s treasure. CATCH-M is your heart’s magical kingdom, built through the
power of your smile.
7- Will there be more books in the series?
Yes! CATCH-M’s Playbook, a daily journal, is
currently “waking me up” at 4:00 a.m. I’m loving how it’s coming together—it’s a hands-on way to apply these skills into daily life so that we can build our braveheart’s treasure, and truly live big together with family, friends, and community.
PURCHASE LINK
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