Communication Arts faculty member Kate Montero, along with partner Christian Kahler, recently co-wrote a children’s book titled The Epic Adventures of Big Binks. The authors merged their passion for teaching and surfing to create a story of a young surfer traveling the world. The young surfer, Big Binks, goes on various escapades, during which he learns to embrace new cultures, different experiences, foreign languages, and unusual friends. The Epic Adventures of Big Binks also seeks to teach the language of surf by following Big Binks’ attempts to navigate different vernaculars such as Seagull, Hawaiian Whale, and Shark Japeneesy and by including a surf lingo glossary in the back in order to introduce children to proper “surfer speak.”
According to Montero, the book aims at inspiring children to embrace others’ differences while exploring and teach the primary message of being open to new ideas. She explains that much of surfing has to do with traveling and being exposed and open to other cultures. The pair plans to have a second Big Binks adventure that includes an etiquette section for surfers.
Kate Montero earned an M.A. in Communication from Barry University in Miami Shores. Throughout her ten years as a high school digital media instructor in Broward County, she was named Broward Teen News Teacher of the Year twice, and was awarded the ING Unsung Heroes Grant for ‘Outstanding Educational Project.’ She is currently teaching Business and Professional Communication (COM 3110) and Public Speaking (SPC 2608) in the Communication Arts Department at Florida International University. With an M.A. in Remediation, and an M.S. in Special Education. Christian, a West-Australia native, teaches education courses at Palm Beach State College, and is an elementary school specialist with additional certifications in reading, special education, ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages), and elementary education.
