Kelly Nelson

Meet the SCBWI August Member of the Month, author Kelly Nelson. Kelly is a passionate animal lover, with a particular interest in nonfiction animal stories. 

Her first children’s picture book, Brownie the War Dog: Veterans’ Best Friend (released fall, 2024), was illustrated by Aaron Boyd and published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. It is the 2025 Wisconsin Young Readers selection by the Wisconsin Center for the Book to represent Wisconsin at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC on September 6, 2025. Brownie is a World War II story about a dog who served, and his impact on the lives of veterans.

Kelly’s other  books include The Carpenter & The Cat, The True Story of Almond the Tree Cat, illustrated by Ann Calverley and published by Nymeria Publishing. She lives with her family in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin. An interview with Kelly is below.

Tell us about your author journey, including your inspiration for Brownie?

I always wanted to be a children’s book author. A couple of my past positions were director of a preschool, and marketing coordinator of a library.  Working in those roles gave me a bird’s eye view of what kids are interested in. In 2019, my dad was in advanced stages of Dementia. We had to move him to the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King. Spending time there, I learned a lot about Wisconsin veterans and learned that not all veterans are people. I saw signage about Brownie, The War Dog. Brownie was donated by his young owner, an eleven-year old boy from Wisconsin. for the war effort. Brownie lost his left eye and returned home to his family. This story gave me something positive to focus on after the loss of my dad, who lasted 8 months at the Veterans Home. 

Do you have a writing routine? 

The bulk of my writing took place a couple years ago. After transitioning to working full-time at School Specialty from home, I don’t have as much time for any kind of writing routine. But on Friday, I am off from work. I wake up early to write. I love to write about animals and it may come as no surprise that we have a pug mix, a pug with dwarfism, a French bull dog, an orange tabby cat, and a new kitten stray.

How were you selected from the Wisconsin Center for the Book to represent Wisconsin at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC on Sept. 6, 2025 as the 2025 WI Young Readers Selection? 

My publisher, Wisconsin Historical Society Press, submitted it to the Wisconsin Center for the Book.

What other awards has Brownie won? 

Brownie was also a finalist at the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) and a Wisconsin Library Association Top 10 Books for Children 2025, which will be  celebrated in October, 2025.

Do you have another project in the pipeline? 

No title yet but it’s another true animal story that is set in Duluth, MN in the 1960s. It is about a mongoose named Mr. Magoo, that focuses on the battle of the Duluth zoo director to save him.  Mongooses are considered illegal aliens, because they don’t have a natural predator to keep their natural population in check. The zoo director took it all the way to the White House and received a Federal pardon from then president, JFK. It will be published by Nymeria Publishing.