🦜 Tina the Toucan Talks

The Bird Who Started It All

Before Sammy’s Jungle Day ever took shape, one bold little bird flew in first—Tina the Toucan.

She isn’t the main character, but she was the first.✨ The first sketch.✨ The first spark.✨ The only character who showed up practically perfect on the first try.

While every other jungle animal underwent drafts, redos, and plenty of “Hmm, not quite yet,” Tina stayed true to her original form—a rainbow-beaked burst of personality with wide eyes, a big voice, and a mind of her own. Honestly? That says everything about her.

🎨 Why Tina Stands Out

Tina doesn’t need the spotlight to shine—she brings it with her.

She’s the kind of character who swoops in mid-story and makes you pause. Not because she’s trying to steal the scene……but because she is the scene.

With her bold feathers, confident vibe, and curious spirit, Tina gives the jungle its heartbeat. In the story, she’s the one nudging Sammy (and readers) to look beyond the branches and wonder what’s waiting out there.

She’s not just colorful—she’s catalytic.

🧠 A Peek Behind the Pages

As a speech-language pathologist, educator, and illustrator, I’m always thinking about the why behind every character. Why will a child connect? What makes a character memorable? How can visual design, personality, and voice work together to support language, curiosity, and learning?

Tina answered those questions without even asking. Her colors helped define the book’s palette. Her presence helped shape the story’s tone. And her fearless nature helped me imagine what else this jungle could hold.

She was the first to show me where this world could go—and I’ve followed her ever since.

🌿 Jungle Fun with Tina Toucan

Here are some toucan-tastic facts I love sharing in speech sessions and classrooms (and now with you!):

🦜 Their beaks look heavy—but aren’t!

Toucans have colorful, oversized beaks made of keratin (just like our fingernails). They're super lightweight and perfect for picking fruit.

🍍 Fruit is life.

Toucans are mostly frugivores, which is a fancy word for fruit-lovers. Some of their favorites?

• 🍌 Bananas

• 🥭 Mango

• 🍇 Grapes

• 🍉 Watermelon

• 🍍 Pineapple

• 🫐 Berries

  
  

They’ll also snack on insects or tiny critters when fruit’s not around.

🌳 High flyers, not ground hikers.

Toucans rarely come down from the trees. They hop from branch to branch in the rainforest canopy and are expert climbers with zygodactyl feet (that’s two toes forward, two back—great for gripping!).

🗣️ Big voice, big presence.

Toucans may look gentle, but they’re loud communicators. Their calls can sound like frogs croaking, rattles clicking, or even high-pitched barking—each one helps them stay in touch across the treetops.

🎨 No two are the same.

Each toucan’s beak has a unique color pattern—just like a fingerprint. Tina’s rainbow beak? 100% original.

🌈 Tina’s Quiet Legacy

Tina might not be front and center, but she helped everything take flight.

She was the first stroke on the page, the first character who told me: This is what your jungle sounds like.

Every time I see her—perched in a tree, mid-swoop, or pointing the way forward—I’m reminded why she came first. And why she didn’t need to change a thing.

She’s not the star. She’s the spark. The soul of the sky.

💬 Want to Chat Like a Toucan?

In speech therapy, toucans are a fun way to build language! Ask questions like:

• “What’s your favorite jungle fruit?”

• “What sound would Tina make?”

• “Where do you think Tina is flying today?”

  
  

And don’t forget to listen for those big birdy voices in your own backyard—you never know when a Tina might be nearby. 😉