ASTON GARDENS HOSTS BOOK READING, PERFORMANCE

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

Bonnie Thomas Birdsall recently staged a performance of her new children’s book, “Earnest Took it with Him” at the Aston Gardens ballroom on Linebaugh Avenue in Westchase.

About 60 seniors, mostly residents of Aston Gardens, filled the ballroom for a multimedia reading/performance that featured song and dance routines.
Many Original Carrollwood residents know Birdsall as a long-time resident, local music teacher, and a tai chi and swim instructor. Fans of the soap opera “Guiding Light” might also remember her for her recurring role as nurse Delores Heldger. Birdsall moved here from New York 10 years ago, after her soap opera career ended.

The performance was to promote her first book, a children’s story about the perils of greed and the righteousness of sharing. In the story, a man named Earnest, recently deceased, attempts to take all his wealth with him on his journey to heaven. He is confronted by an angel who aims to show him that he was loved, not for the money he had accumulated, but for the man he was.

Her reading started with the first of several musical numbers. Four young dancers – swim and dance students of Birdsall – floated across the floor in ballerina costumes, as Birdsall sung the title song from her book.

Birdsall feels strongly that cuts in the funding of fine arts programs in many school systems makes it critical that communities find ways to supplement school courses with outside music, dance and literature classes.

“Earnest Took It With Him” is a self-published book, meaning there is no publishing house involved; Birdsall assumes the costs of printing herself. She recalled the time in her life when the book idea first appeared.

“I was alone with my son. I couldn’t perform anymore,” she said. “My dad was always a big storyteller. These stories, they just popped into my head.”
She took a class in self-publishing, and eventually applied for grant money from Hillsborough County, but was unable to garner the necessary funds. A former music teacher at the Bowman Academy, Birdsall has also written songs for Carrollwood Elementary. And as an acting coach, she assisted in a recent Carrollwood Elementary production of “A Christmas Carol.” Asking for help from people that she had volunteered for in the past turned them into patrons, and by raising the rest of the money teaching, she was able to put her story into print. She believes that the decision to self-publish was a crucial one, and a catch-22.

“You have total control of your book, but you really have to go out and promote it yourself,” she said. “You’re stuck with the advertising and the fees.”
Her brother donated the artwork for the book, which also features drawings from a second grade class at Carrollwood Elementary.
Birdsall recorded the accompanying music CD at a local production studio.

She says although the story is written for grades two through five, it is really meant to be enjoyed as a family book.
Birdsall had some trouble scheduling readings at public schools due to the book’s religious messages. She doesn’t see those messages as specific or overt.
“I don’t think it’s very religious,” she said. “It’s about caring and sharing. I knew it would press some buttons, but it was really important for me to tell the story.”
The lessons of the book derive from life experiences. There are many artists in Birdsall’s family, and as she recalled, “we don’t make a lot of cash, so I wanted to send the message to give back.”

Birdsall has recently performed at Barnes & Noble of Carrollwood, assisted-living facilities in Tampa, and local pre-schools and elementary schools, including Carrollwood Elementary.

The response to her first book has been good, and she is already working on another.

She mentioned that Shriners Hospital and the Moffit Center would be purchasing copies of “Earnest Took it With Him” for donations during the holidays.

Bonnie Thomas Birdsall is available to perform throughout Tampa Bay. For more information or to purchase copies of “Earnest Took It with Him,” call 932-2398.