Your Gift, My Gift, Our Gifts – Literacy, Belonging, and Courage For Kids

/ January 6, 2026

Your Gift, My Gift, Our Gifts Story-based learning nurtures literacy, belonging, and courage in your students

Dear Educators,

My name is Lisa Caprelli. I grew up in El Paso, Texas, a shy kid in a big, loving Hispanic family. I found my voice with a pencil and a notebook—journaling before school, writing extra sentences, turning feelings into stories. That early love of writing led me to study social psychology and, ultimately, to create Unicorn Jazz™ and other characters that help children name emotions, practice kindness, and see their own gifts. Today, I visit schools to model whole-child learning through storytelling, music, art, and audience participation. My approach blends literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative entrepreneurship in a way that’s joyful and classroom-ready.

Why Bring a Speaker Like Me to Your School?

Storytelling accelerates literacy. When students hear how drafts become books—and how pictures, songs, and puppetry serve a story—they see reading and writing as living processes they can do, not static tasks they must finish.
SEL becomes concrete. We practice naming emotions (excited, nervous, lonely, brave) through characters and scenes. As Dr. Daniel Siegel reminds us, “Name it to tame it.”
Belonging meets aspiration. A shy unicorn who wonders, “Do I fit?” discovers a gift worth sharing. Students recognize themselves and learn that gifts include kindness, courage, persistence—not only drawing or singing.
Career curiosity & entrepreneurship. We unpack how an idea becomes a book, a song, a tour—spotlighting teamwork, revision, feedback, timelines, and real-world problem solving.
Representation matters. My family and creative partners are woven into the work—neighbors, siblings, cousins, and students themselves—so more kids see someone “like me” on the page and the stage.

Educator Insight: “Invite students to track a visiting author’s process—idea → draft → revision → audience. Then mirror that cycle in your next writing unit.”

The Heart Behind My Work and Why I Changed My Life

My cousin Davey Villalobos loved art the way I loved words. In 2018, we combined our gifts to launch Unicorn Jazz and a cast of imaginative friends. Many characters honor people I love: Woof the Crow (like a wise teacher—and named for my cat), Panda Em (inspired by my singer friend Emily Isabel), Trezekke the Zebracorn (for my son Trey; my older son Matthew helps write and performs the Trezekke puppet), Javi the Hippo (a voice my brother Mike always seemed destined to give), and our Flying Taco named Hope, after my mom.

Behind the bright colors are early mornings, late-night edits, and pauses to let ideas breathe. That’s entrepreneurship—show, go, grow: show your gift with kindness; go practice with patience; grow by learning from others. I learned that from my mom, teachers, and the communities that believed in me. Now I bring that message to your students—humbly and gratefully.

Language for feelings: we practice identifying emotions in scenes and rehearsing kinder self-talk.
Growth mindset in action: drafts, feedback, and do-overs are normal, not personal.
Creative confidence: art + writing + music + tech are teammates, not silos.
Community-building: we notice and celebrate each other’s gifts.

Educator Insight: “After the assembly, run a ‘Gift Gallery Walk.’ Students post one strength (their own) and one strength they noticed in a classmate.”

How an Author Visit Aligns with the School’s Learning and Literacy Goals

Storytelling accelerates literacy (All Grades). When students hear how ideas and vision seeds become books—and how pictures, songs, and puppetry serve a story—they see reading and writing as living processes they can do.
SEL becomes concrete. We practice naming emotions (excited, nervous, lonely, brave) through characters and scenes.
Belonging meets aspiration. Students recognize themselves and learn that gifts include kindness, courage, persistence—not only drawing or singing.
Career curiosity & leadership (Upper Grades). We unpack how an idea becomes a book, a song, and joy in recognizing each other’s talents—spotlighting teamwork, feedback, and real-world problem solving.
Representation matters. My family and multi-cultural learning are woven into my work–so kids see someone “like me” on the page, not just the stage

From Learning Science: “Humans ‘think in story.’ When we connect content to narrative, attention and recall improve.” —paraphrasing Jerome Bruner

Why Bring a Speaker to Your School Community?
Turning feelings into stories has been my life’s work. What began as a shy child’s love of writing led me to study social psychology and, over the years, partner with 175+ leaders, educators, and librarians. I create characters that help children name emotions, practice kindness, and recognize their unique gifts. In school visits, I model whole-child learning through storytelling, music, art, and lively audience participation. The result is a joyful blend of literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative teamwork—so students read, feel, and lead.

Instructional Lens: “Know thy impact.” Use the visit as a catalyst, then measure it—writing samples before/after, vocabulary usage, or student self-reflections. —John Hattie

Program Snapshot (Flexible by Grade Band)

Assemblies (K–2, 3–5, or 6–8): interactive read-alouds, behind-the-scenes creation, sing-along moments, Q&A.
Workshops: mini-lessons on character, setting, and “from idea to book”; collaborative writing or storyboard sprints.
Cross-Curricular Options: poetry & music, art & design, entrepreneur “idea lab.”
Teacher Pack: prompts, extension activities, family letter, and a one-page rubric to keep momentum going.

A Personal Note to Your Staff

I was once the student who didn’t raise her hand. Books—and the adults who believed in me—changed that. Every visit is my way of paying forward what teachers gave me: language for feelings, courage to try, and community that notices gifts. If I’m fortunate to visit your school, my hope is simple: that your students walk away saying, “I see a gift in me, and I can share it.”

Classroom Extensions & Discussion Prompts

“Name it to tame it.” After a read-aloud, list three emotions characters felt. Students write or draw a time they felt one of those emotions and a healthy strategy they used (or could use) to cope.
Gift Spotting. In table groups, identify one creative gift and one character gift (e.g., kindness, courage) each teammate brings to the class project.
From Idea to Audience. Students map the lifecycle of a class book—from brainstorm to “publication day”—and assign roles (author, editor, artist, marketer).
Family Letter. Send home a one-page note with three questions families can ask at dinner about gifts and belonging.

Closing Gratitude

My life feels like a small miracle—a shy girl who learned that love, learning, and courage can write a new story. Thank you for the work you do every day to make classrooms safe for voices like mine once was—and for the voices discovering themselves right now in your care.