FAMILIAR FACES: Tabitha Erbe helps West Orange families through books, coaching

When Tabitha Erbe was a young girl, she loved reading. But more than just reading, she loved writing. 

She would take her favorite stories and rewrite the endings, or she’d continue on with what she thought would happen next. 

She found the task relaxing, and it brought her joy. 

Her behavior was encouraged — healthy for the mind. 

Today, Erbe is a Jill of all trades. 

She consistently is out in communities such as Oakland, Winter Garden, Clermont and Minneola working with children, teenagers and adults through her life-coaching business. 

Working as an educator most of her life with at-risk children, she found her purpose in helping them achieve their goals. 

But more than that, she’s an author of two published children’s book, “Finn & Hatch” and “The Monster in the Hallway.” 

Courtesy Photo

During Oakland farmers markets, you can find Erbe under her tent with books, sensory bins and a smile ready to welcome those who cross her path. 

There, she’s known as the Oakland Book Lady. 

She brings books to read aloud and creates lessons for the children, making reading a joyful activity. 

Her read aloud’s always are successful, making children smile and learn and parents happy. 

“We do sensory play, we work on community-skill building, and quite honestly, we just get a lot of kids together to be themselves and be positive while learning and being engaged in a very natural space,” she said. 

Kelly Starkey, a Winter Garden resident, met Erbe at the Oakland Farmers Market around six months ago. 

Starkey owns a local fitness group called Fit4Mom, which organizes monthly walks around the market, ending at Erbe’s tent for story time and crafts. 

“Tabitha is a very positive person,” Starkey said. “All the moms (who) come to our walks are very drawn to her. She always has great stories to tell, and she’s always very approachable.” 

Beyond telling great stories, Starkey said she also is good at getting down to the levels of the little kids that come participate in the activities she provides. 

“She’s always mindful, coming up with fun sensory bins or really fun crafts that are age appropriate,” Starkey said. “My 2-year-old has come to story time, and he’s played with many of her sensory bins. He even recognizes her sometimes if we see her at a different event. The activities that she brings are more than just for fun —she always wants to make sure the kids are learning something, too.” 

For Starkey and her 2-year-old son, Erbe’s lessons are valuable. 

Her son is working on grip strength and looks forward to playing with Erbe’s sensory bins. 

Even though he’s too young to understand some of Erbe’s lessons through readings, he constantly is learning. 

“No matter what the age of the kids, they can still feel engaged and like they’re learning something new,” Starkey said. “I’m very glad that our paths have crossed. She’s a very positive person in this community, and I love the work she does, the messages she’s spreading and how much she advocates for the youth in our community. She’s good people.” 

When Erbe is not at the farmers market, she is going to schools to read her books to children, teaching them to be inclusive to friends who are different, such as Hatch, a fish who lives on the coral reef. He has autism and is learning to communicate with friends as a non-verbal fish. 

“My family is largely touched by the neurodivergent community,” she said. “I have nephews on the spectrum who teach our family in a number of ways. … My own two children are also neurodivergent, and learning to parent through a special lens that is appropriate and encouraging of both of them in different ways is really special. Being able to understand — and even if I don’t always understand — but meet them with empathy and curiosity for the ways that they’re seeing the world around them truly makes me a better mom, and it really is something that I want all parents and family members, classrooms to experience.” 

Her other book, “the Monster in the Hallway,” shows children how to navigate and regulate big emotions, such as being scared, curious and brave. 

“It’s about feeling more than one feeling to go to bed,” she said. “We don’t have to say we don’t feel scared. It’s ‘we can feel scared, and.’” 

Everything she does has a purpose. 

After reading her books, she likes to include a lesson, whether it be through writing, art or a physical activity. 

To Erbe, being able to help children and parents in a positive way is the most rewarding feeling, especially in Oakland. 

“I love the feeling of community about Oakland,” she said. “It’s very small-feeling, very connected. Truly, the parents who come out for what is supposed to be just book time for their babies turns into parent connections and moms really feeling like they have a tribe and a village, which is so important.” 

She said she’s watched quite a few kids grow and change over the months they’ve worked together, too. Whether it be through sensory bins, activities or regulation exercises, she’s happy she’s making a difference. 

Today, she is working on the sequel to “Finn & Hatch,” “Doris and Tarney,” which is about a puffer fish getting ready to participate in a relay race and learning to self-regulate through breathing methods. 

“The goal is that our kids will read this and learn it throughout the book,” she said. “They can use it as a strategy to calm down and get regulated, to overcome something super scary or hard or tricky. I’m really excited for this book because it’s got a very tangible lesson to teach kids.” 

Through everything she does, she hopes to foster joy in reading and teach lessons about inclusivity and self regulation. 

“I was that kid who grew up loving lying on my floor rewriting stories,” she said. “I don’t want that to go away. And I trust that it won’t because there are kids coming to the park in Oakland, and it’s very much screen-free, jumping and playing and talking and connecting. And I trust that will stay with all of us for as long as we are a community.”