Captain Verbal Smiley is from the small town of Beulaville, Alabama. He grew up in a close-knit community; it was his village. As a young boy, he excelled in soccer. Years later, after playing three years of college soccer, Verbal decided to join the military. He enlisted in the Army after his junior year.

He traveled the world during his six-year career in the military. During his travels, he met people from numerous countries and heard many languages and different dialects. He developed a love for languages and made it his mission to be able to understand and speak all languages. It was also during these year Verbal would receive the name Captain. Verbal, who was a Sergeant in the Army, always wore an ascot cap in his off time. In the local PX, at a hat shop, owned by a retired Tuskegee Airmen, the Airmen would greet Verbal as he walked up, “At ease everyone, the captain is coming through.” Verbal always returned the greeting with a salute to the Airmen. They would talk for hours upon hours, and Verbal would volunteer at the shop from time to time. Over time, Verbal was soon known as Captain Smiley throughout the military base. Verbal embraced the name and was honored to receive it from Mr. Airmen.

His love for soccer was renewed after he volunteered as a youth soccer coach on Ramstein Military Base in Germany. Due to the language barriers with some of the children, Verbal couldn’t be the effective role model he desired to be. He knew he was destined to teach children. More importantly, he knew he had to be proficient in every language to reach every child. One day, he had an epiphany! Captain Smiley would become a polyglot. Then, he could speak to all children, understand all children, and teach them how to use their words to express how they are feeling. Captain Smiley is now back in the village, teaching the children how to maneuver through life while gaining wisdom from his mentor, Mama Tea. 

Why is this book important to children?

In a world of non-stop technology, it appears the doors of communication are crumbling. The strain placed on teachers to manage their classrooms while also helping their students has become even more burdensome. Captain Smiley addresses these challenges through social and emotional learning. He connects with children, while allowing them to express their feelings and manage their emotions. Allowing children to express themselves and giving them space to develop a plan of action is vital to bridging the communication gap in the classroom.

This book is beneficial to children because it teaches them how to express themselves appropriately when they are upset, angry, or frustrated. Captain Smiley listens to the children and encourages them to share their feelings and concerns. After venting and expressing themselves, Captain Smiley helps the children find a solution to the problem at hand by asking what can be done to fix it and how can it best be done. It is very important in the classroom for teachers and students to be able to listen and communicate effectively when a student is upset. If effective communication is lacking, it’s less likely that work will be completed, and classroom time will not be productive.

Captain Smiley is the bridge between the teacher and the children. He gives children an outlet to express their feelings, encourages them to communicate effectively, and manage their behavior appropriately.