I USED TO BE SHY | SISTER BUTTERFLY | LUCK OF AN IRISH SAILER | SONGS

Mike Mirabella Books

I Used to Be Shy on Long List of Little Peeps Book Awards

I Used to Be Shy has advanced to the Long List of the The Little Peeps Book Awards, a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards. I Used to Be Shy and the other long-listers are now in competition for the 2024 Little Peeps Short List, from which the finalists will be chosen and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference in Bellingham, Washington, April 3 – 6, 2025.

Praise for I Used to Be Shy

I Used to Be Shy continues in the gentle tone of Sister Butterfly. Set against a bright playful landscape, the spirit of Carla holds out a hand to a shy boy, bringing him out of the shadows of shyness into the light of inclusion among new friends. This touching little musical story is a gift tied with a colorful bow of art.

[Elizabeth Peláez Norris, MA, Med, Teacher and Poet, Oakland, California]

Carla’s exuberant personality caused the reader to want to join her at Camp ALLBELONG. She loves being at the camp with all types of children. The camp includes some children with disabilities. Carla is the welcome committee for a new boy with mobility problems.

This book can be read as a poem or sung as a song of inclusion. It is such an uplifting story. Part of the book gives the notation of a new song so the reader can provide accompany the song. The illustrations are bright and show the changes as the new boy leaves his shyness in the cabin. I wish I could be a part of Camp ALLBELONG!  Let’s all join the song and belong!

[Elaine Butler, Librarian Support for Families of Children with Disabilities, San Francisco, California]

Five-Star Chanticleer Book Review: I Used to Be Shy

I USED TO BE SHY: An Illustrated Story with Songs about Inclusion, Belonging, and Compassion From The Carla Stories Book 2

By Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton 

Rating: 5/5; Highly Recommended 

In I Used to Be Shy, from the Carla Stories Book 2 by Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton, Carla meets a nervous boy with physical disabilities at Camp Allbelong. Through their friendship, Carla helps him become confident enough to join in the camp games in this compassionate illustrated story about inclusion told through song.

We begin with Carla’s bright yellow light contrasting with the boy’s deep, lonely blue representation. As their friendship grows, those two colors begin to mix, becoming a vibrant green that paints the heartwarming, pastoral scenes of Camp Allbelong. When the boy joins his peers in the center of these illustrations, his blue color takes on a new tone that reflects the expansive sky in the background.

Amy O’Hanlon’s delightful illustrations show how one friendship can bloom to become a garden full of many relationships.

As Mirabella notes, children with disabilities, such as his and Lipton’s own two daughters, are often left out of social activities. The story’s message of making space for everyone shows through Carla, who befriends the boy and encourages him to open up to the other children. As a result, we can see how quickly his mood changes to excitement and friendliness. With the compassion of his fellow campers and accommodations made by the staff, he even joins games like kickball that could otherwise prove difficult for someone who needs crutches to walk.

I Used to Be Shy encourages readers to sing along with the playful lyrics by Lipton, composer of the classic “Puff the Magic Dragon,” as they follow this meaningful story of acceptance.

Written as a duet, this song is shown in easy-to-read colored text that reflects the characters’ emerging friendship, with each singer trading verses, then as alternating lines as the two characters connect with one another. Mirabella & Lipton’s lyrics create a back-and-forth rhyming scheme which makes this song particularly fun to sing with old or new friends. Sheet music in the back of the book provides readers with a way to learn this song– as well as a bonus song called “Little Brown Pony” using instruments.

I Used to Be Shy is a sweet tale about opening up to those around you and finding friendships that extend well beyond words alone. Inspired by the daughters of Mirabella & Lipton, this book is for any child who might share the boy’s shyness. A must-read showing how wonderful it is when we all belong. 

Praise for Sister Butterfly

Sister Butterfly — what a beautiful book! It gave me goosebumps reading it — so sweet in every way. I love how the students on the playground were pulled in to help them understand his sister’s differences and to not be afraid or distant because she is different.

[Victoria Long, Principal, North County Consortium Windsor Unified School District, California]

How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand? Gently open your palm and fingers and allow it to rest there, not holding your breath; open moment by moment or you might miss something. That’s the gift Carla Elaine Mirabella gave us all. Sister Butterfly brings Carla to each of us to hold the memory of her in our hearts, which is where it should be.

[Frannie Field, MFT, Author, Sausalito, California]

Five-Star Chanticleer Book Review: Sister Butterfly

SISTER BUTTERFLY: An Illustrated Story with Songs about Inclusion, Belonging and Compassion from The Carla Stories Book 1 

By Mike Mirabella 

Rating: 5/5; Highly Recommended 

Sister Butterfly from Mike Mirabella’s Carla Stories Book 1 shares the crucial message that communication comes in many forms. Even for those who struggle to be understood, connection is always possible.

Told through song lyrics and charming illustrations, the narrator’s little sister, a young girl with Down Syndrome, joins her brother on a walk through a verdant garden. Eventually, they encounter a group of other kids, who come to see the flightless blue butterfly she has found.

True to its title, this book creates a lyrical parallel between the little sister and the butterfly.

Both the sister and the butterfly use unique ways to interact with the world that make them easy to be overlooked. The butterfly must walk on the ground and is only found because the sister searches a quiet corner of the garden. In turn, her “secret world is hidden in the silence of her eyes.” When the other kids take an interest in what she has found, they find she’s happy to show them her special butterfly friend.

Illustrator Amy O’Hanlon’s pastel drawings perfectly match the tone and meaning of the heartfelt lyrics.

Double-page spreads of a vibrant garden fill this book. The characters are largely rendered in soft hues, with their eyes and the world around them standing out in a rainbow of brilliant color. A matching shade of blue emphasizes the bond between the little sister and the butterfly, standing out brightly among the greenery. The beautiful composition of shapes and colors on each page makes Sister Butterfly a treat to read.

Sister Butterfly contains the poetic lyrics of a song of the same name, written by author and musician Mirabella about his daughter Carla, who like the little sister in the book, also lived with Down Syndrome. This provides him with a unique insight into the little sister’s special world.

The book comes with a download of a recording of Sister Butterfly, as well as sheet music for anyone — child or adult — who wants to learn the song themselves. The format of this book would make it easy for young children to try singing along and contains a bonus song, I Am So Like You, by Mirabella.

With its touching message of empathy, gorgeous illustrations, and an invitation to explore its inspired music, Sister Butterfly makes for an excellent read that can be enjoyed by both the young and the young at heart.

Praise for On the Luck of an Irish Sailor

✭✭✭✭✭ Truly enchanting. On The Luck of an Irish Sailer, by Mike Mirabella, is a wonderful story that combines the nostalgic storytelling of an Irish sailor with the whimsical underwater fantasy of swimming with mermaids. But this Irish sailor isn’t just telling his tale, he’s singing it! And it’s the lyricism and songwriting chops of Mike Mirabella that makes this so special. I would recommend reading (or singing) along to the story and turning the pages along with the song as performed by Shay Black – easily found on Youtube. Great for the young, and the young at heart!

[Matthew Isaac Sobin, Amazon]

This sweet book is a joy. I read it to my grandchildren and they are enthralled by both the story and illustrations. They are thrilled too that their Uncle Shay sings the sailor part on the accompanying CD. Mike and Amy have produced a little gem.

[Mary Black, musician]