About the Author
The Purple Moose books are written with the help of Mrs. Kristen Steele. Purple Moose entered her life in 2005 after meeting him in the gift shop of the Water Wheel Breakfast and Gift House in Jefferson, New Hampshire. He was the perfect NH memento to take back to Ohio to share with her kindergarten class, where the school color was purple! Purple Moose’s airplane trip back to Ohio turned into Purple Moose’s first adventure book! He became the class mascot and loved creating stories with his many classmates.
Mrs. Steele taught kindergarten and special education in the public schools systems of Virginia, Ohio, and New Hampshire for over 27 years. After returning to her native NH, she began working on publishing and writing the Purple Moose stories that her former students loved and inspired. Mrs. Steele is a big believer that children learn through play. It is her goal to live with enthusiasm and share her love of learning, the arts and the world with the children around her.
In September 2016, her life took a 180 degree turn when she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. It is rare condition where a lesion forms suddenly on the spinal cord causing paresthesia (pins and needles and numbness) and paralysis. Three months later she was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This was followed by a diagnosis of Optic Neuritis in January 2017, which causes blurred vision.
As she learned to let go of her identity as a teacher and small business owner, Kristen set out to find new beginnings and joys. Returning to writing the Purple Moose books, allowed her to connect once again with children and use the skills she had gain through teaching to help encourage children and their families to tell stories, explore nature, and the world.
Kristen writes about her life changing health experience in her blog www.hope4life180.com. She has found writing honestly and with hope about her experiences helps her to move forward with her new realities in positive way. It is her desire to share her journey with others who might be experiencing similar circumstances, need some extra encouragement, or just wonder what it is like to navigate this path.
Mrs. Steele continues to create new adventures with Purple Moose and looks forward to sharing them in the future Purple Moose books.
Mrs. Steele taught kindergarten and special education in the public schools systems of Virginia, Ohio, and New Hampshire for over 27 years. After returning to her native NH, she began working on publishing and writing the Purple Moose stories that her former students loved and inspired. Mrs. Steele is a big believer that children learn through play. It is her goal to live with enthusiasm and share her love of learning, the arts and the world with the children around her.
In September 2016, her life took a 180 degree turn when she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. It is rare condition where a lesion forms suddenly on the spinal cord causing paresthesia (pins and needles and numbness) and paralysis. Three months later she was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This was followed by a diagnosis of Optic Neuritis in January 2017, which causes blurred vision.
As she learned to let go of her identity as a teacher and small business owner, Kristen set out to find new beginnings and joys. Returning to writing the Purple Moose books, allowed her to connect once again with children and use the skills she had gain through teaching to help encourage children and their families to tell stories, explore nature, and the world.
Kristen writes about her life changing health experience in her blog www.hope4life180.com. She has found writing honestly and with hope about her experiences helps her to move forward with her new realities in positive way. It is her desire to share her journey with others who might be experiencing similar circumstances, need some extra encouragement, or just wonder what it is like to navigate this path.
Mrs. Steele continues to create new adventures with Purple Moose and looks forward to sharing them in the future Purple Moose books.