I Used to Be Shy: An Illustrated Story with Songs about Inclusion, Belonging, and Compassion

Author Mike Mirabella wrote the poem 'On the Luck of an Irish Sailor' when he was 15 years old. Mike takes us on a magical experience deep beneath the ocean sea, using the voice of a young cabin boy telling the story, although he is now an old man. Sailor springs from the imagination of a young Mike, inspired by the tall tales he heard as a small child from his seafaring grandfather and uncles. Using the rhyming style of a pirate in an Irish pub, our sailor spins a yarn about hearing the slap of a mermaid's tail during a mighty storm, and how he is saved from drowning with the help of a mermaid princess and his Irish luck. Could this have really happened? . The playful illustrations by artist Amy O'Hanlon bring this folk tale to life. In 2018, On The Luck Of An Irish Sailor was awarded a 5 Star Reader's Favorite Certificate and a Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Gold Medal for the category of music and drama. The Recording: Mike co-produced a recording of "Sailor" with the help of composer and Celtic folk music enthusiast Erik Hoffman. It is sung by legendary Irish-born vocalist Shay Black and mastered by 2 time Grammy Certificated musician and producer Jim Nunally. All recordings, notated music, blogs and order forms can be found on the website: MirabellaBooksWithSongs.com Now retired from teaching, but still living with his wife Pamela in the East Bay, Mike continues to write poetry, blogs, composes music, and now publishes children's books. Pam is a former elected public official who served on the Contra County School Board for 28 years, but continues to champion and promote laws that better protect the civil rights of disabled citizens. Both Mike and Pam are available to perform their songs and speak publically at special events, delivering a message of hope for families of intellectually and physically challenged children. To learn more about Mike and Pam's vision and message, please go to the Website: MirabellaBooksWithSongs.com.

Amy O'Hanlon is from San Ramon, California, and is the only artist in a family of musicians. She began studying art at Humboldt State before running away to England in 2015 for a Master's program at Kingston School of Art. After graduating, Amy returned to the Bay Area and has since illustrated several children's books, including On the Luck of an Irish Sailor, her first project with Mike Mirabella. She has also had the opportunity to do stage projection design for several San Francisco musicals, one of which was the Bay Area Children's Theatre's She Persisted, based on the book by Chelsea Clinton. Amy is inspired by the fantasy in everyday life, and she loves nothing more than drawing all the magical things that can only be seen in the corner of her eye.