The latest children's book by Beach author Loredana Cunti is called How Gogo Found Her Groove.
It's not her first time writing about dancing and it's not even her first story working with an avian protagonist. But Gogo the flamingo's chicken dance journey is one of a kind, despite a simple message.
At its heart, How Gogo Found Her Groove is about embracing your differences and finding your own beat.
Gogo is a rhythmic flamingo, living in the south of Spain, when her friends encourage her to enter a chicken dancing contest in Seville.
"You're the flamingo version of the great Fred Astaire," a character in the book cheers.
But when she gets there, and is mocked by the roosters, Gogo needs to find her courage, and learn to keep dancing.
Cunti's website describes the tale as a story about, "individuality, resilience, and the joy of movement." The book also includes pages of fun flamingo facts, science-based mental health tips, and a call to get people moving, dancing and grooving.
"Gogo is for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't fit in with the flock," said Cunti.
The inspiration behind Gogo came from an experience she had while picking up her daughter and a friend from elementary school. Cunti asked her daughter's friend what she planned to be for Halloween. She proudly replied that she would be a flamingo.
Cunti said she immediately pictured a "fabulous flamingo," in a tutu and dance shoes. But when Cunti asked for more details, the little girl described a red and black, ruffled polka dot dress. "Oh! She meant flamenco!"
Because of this, Gogo originally started out as a flamingo trying to win a flamenco contest. This first major rebrand happened because of a sweet moment with her children.
"One night at home, we were doing the chicken dance, you know, as you do with small kids. And then that was it. It came to me. It's a flamingo trying to win a chicken dance contest. And so from there, she's got the moves, she's got the shoes, but she's not a chicken," said Cunti.
How Gogo Found Her Groove has been many years in the making, with a lot of transformations. The story had gone through various rhyming schemes, and took a lot of research on dance and flamingos. Around the time, Cunti had been facing some rejection, which fueled the direction of the story, as she really began to connect with Gogo, and with the idea of "shaking off her feathers."
No matter where she went, the story kept getting turned down. Between the journey of writing the story and getting rejected for publication, Loredana said about five years had passed. She finally decided to make it happen; she had to get the story off her mind.
"I said, that's it. I've got to get Gogo to stop talking to me in my brain. If I don't do it, she's never going to leave me alone."
So Cunti decided to self publish her book through her own company LoreWorks Limited, and it is being printed in Scarborough.
Illustrated by Yumi-kito, the book is available to order online and a launch party is set for November.
Cunti said she hopes that Gogo lives a much longer life beyond that point. She has pitched the story to the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and is currently working alongside other boards to get her story put in elementary school classrooms. She said she feels "excited," knowing that Gogo will be inspiring young people soon, and will hopefully play an important part in schools.
Through Gogo's story, Cunti wants to make one thing clear: "Our brains and bodies work together."
She said she believes the important connection between physical health and mental health is not being pushed in spaces such as classrooms, the way it once was.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, just 15 minutes of moderate exercise, like dancing, can provide a mood enhancing effect. Finding your groove and what works for you is an easy step for most people to reduce anxiety and stress, said Cunti.
"Just by moving our body, we create endorphins, we create dopamine and serotonin, and they all work together. And it's like a little cheering squad in your brain. The takeaway is that just like Gogo, you can shake it off, you can dance, and you'll feel better," she said.
This will be Cunti's eighth children's book. Her stories often take inspiration from real life locations, people and events, but the creative side and all her characters are what really inspire her to write. From how she describes her creative process, it doesn't seem like she can, or will be, slowing down any time soon.
"I wish the ideas didn't come to me. Because I have this whole other job that I do. These books that I write, it's because I have to. If I don't, Gogo won't leave me alone. I have a drawer full of ideas. I see something, and it just inspires me. I'll say, 'I have 15 minutes to get this idea down,' and the next thing I know, three hours go by. It's such a fun place, when I sit down and I'm hanging out in my brain," she explained.
Cunti will host a launch party on Nov. 21 for How Gogo Found Her Groove. The launch will take place at Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., from 3 to 5 p.m. Those attending are reminded to bring their dancing shoes, and get ready for freebies, music and feathers.
For more on the book, go to https://www.iloredana.com/how-gogo-found-her-groove