Hiya!
Tina Capalbo is a teacher, writer, avid walker, mom, and life-long dabbler in the arts. She is part artist and maker, part thinker and strategist. Tina has worn many hats over the years. In addition to lesson plans, blogs, and stories, Tina has written everything from corporate architectural proposals to volunteer manuals and educator packs for music and film festivals. When Tina finds something she loves, there is no better advocate. She is up to her eyeballs in learning and growing and up to her old tricks hoping to inspire others in their own growth. Tina seeks out meaningful moments and connects with people and places in purposeful ways. You can always count on her even if you can't quite predict her next move. Sometimes she pulls out her tarot cards.
Tina completed her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees at Western and her Master of Arts degree in English at Dalhousie. Over the past thirty years, Tina has taught in Tokyo, Toronto, London, Halifax, and online. She has been a high school English and Drama teacher, online writing teacher, social media marketing consultant, communications coordinator / proposal writer, youth theatre co-founder and artistic director, and mom to her sons.
Why I Wrote Ari and the Very Loud Bird!
I've been inspired by the bouncy, metered rhyme of Dr Seuss since childhood, so I set out to write a fun, rhyming story for kids too. I started to write this one when my boys were babies. Looking back, I was probably inspired by the dawn chorus—those incredibly loud (yet lovable!) chirping birds in early Spring that kept me company during exhausting early morning feedings when all I wanted to do was go back to bed.
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In the summer of 2014, I collaborated with singer-songwriter Donna Creighton, who wrote music for an interactive song-version of this story then performed it at the Kingsville Folk Music Festival Children's Stage. It was a hit with the girls and boys alike. Ari made me think about that for a long time. Then, Ari dropped their pronouns and let me know they are a non-binary character. Roger that!
In this rhyming story, Ari is a kiddo with big feelings and creative ideas who isn't afraid of making mistakes or do-overs. It's a fun, read-aloud, bedtime story too. Kids love the bouncy, rhyming language and the noisy bird. They like all the socks and Ari's funny disaster. And, Ari is lovable too!
Ari and the Very Loud Bird! is for sale at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and FriesenPress.