Daughters inspiration for children's books
By BURLON PARSONS bparsons@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Burlon Parsons Kaylyn Miska shows her favorite illustrated page from her recently published children's book entitled A Happy Hot Pink Hyena Day. Her dad, Bill Sherrill did many of the illustrations in the book.

Kaylyn Miska had thought for a long time about writing children's books. Books which could inspire them to use their imaginations and not the computer. Then in 2003 she got the time and the inspiration.

"I had been teaching for four years and was staying home with our first daughter Kalie, who is now 5," Miska said. "She and younger sister Chloe, now 3, have been my inspiration for what I did."

After starting the project in 2003, it was finished and sent to a publisher in 2005.

Miska received her first printed copies of A Happy Hot Pink Hyena Day in June. She took it to the Wharton County Library soon after that and read it to youngsters there.

"It was well received," Miska is happy to report. And Miska is quick to point out that the work is dedicated to her two inspirations Kalie and Chloe.

A Happy Hot Pink Hyena Day is a colaboration with one of Miska's favorite people — her dad William "Bill" Sherrill.

Her dad, she explained, has a degree in education and taught for one year. He is better known as a hunting guide and taxadermist. Now his main concentration focus is running W.S. Sherrill Waterfowl Hunting.

But for his daughter's writing project Dad became the illustrator.

"He's taken art classes over the years and does wonderful watercolor waterfowl paintings for family and friends," Miska said. "He developed the characters and illustrated the book. We even worked on a few drawings together."

After the work was done Miska found a publishing agent and put the manuscript and illustrations together for them on the computer.

Before long there was a contract signed and production started. Over the months there were revisions, rewrites and drawings to revise. It was all what Miska calls "a real learning experience."

The author has also signed a contract for a second work through the same publisher called Cowboy Princess. But she does not know when it will be published or who will do the illustrations.

Right now she has a few copies of A Happy Hot Pink Hyena Day which are available for $20. They are also available at several Christian bookstores in Houston.

They will soon be available at Hastings Bookstores in Lake Jackson and Victoria.

Miska is scheduled for some future booksignings at both places.

Miska is going back to teaching this fall in Bay City, but says the whole process has made her want to write some more books.

"I like to see children use their imaginations and not be bombarded with computers and television programs," Miska said. "I feel using the imagination builds character and encourages a child's thought processes to flow."

Whatever she writes in the future, Miska says Kalie and Chloe will still serve as her inspirations.