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Author's book about adventurous canine includes FSNHS
Fort Scott National Historic Site is among the attractions featured in a book penned by a first-time children's author with local ties.
Jackie Witherspoon, editor of Southeast Kansas Living magazine, worked with chambers of commerce and offices of tourism in the region to produce the book, "Sparky's Adventures in Southeast Kansas" about a mischievous Jack Russell terrier who decides to explore the world outside his home.
A trip to Nashville about a year ago gave Witherspoon, who lives in Humboldt, the idea for the book, which is designed to educate, entertain and promote the region.
"We work to promote the region," she said. "I thought this might be a novel way to promote it to children and families."
Each spot and Sparky's activities there are described. The book also contains pictures of the attractions.
"I tried to include something from all nine counties in Southeast Kansas," Witherspoon said.
While in Nashville, Witherspoon said her husband, Gary, was attending meetings so she "had lots of time to shop."
"Many of the stores I went into were selling a book about a bear that becomes lost in Nashville," she said in a news release. "While finding his way home, the bear discovers interesting places to see in Tennessee."
"The second I flipped through the book, I thought 'Someone should do a book like this about Southeast Kansas,'" she said in the release. "We certainly have fun and interesting places to visit, a great history and wonderful landmarks."
She said the idea for the book took shape on her way home from Music City.
"I just kept thinking about what the bear would have wanted to see if he had gotten lost around here," she said in the release. "The more I thought about it, the more fun it sounded to do the book myself."
Witherspoon changed the main character from a bear to a dog and altered the story line for her book.
"I didn't want him to be lost," she said. "To me, that seems scary for children."
Instead, the little dog is just excited about seeing what he can see.
In the tale, Sparky visits Fort Scott National Historic Site where he takes a nap and dreams he is a cowboy, Witherspoon said.
Witherspoon said her greatest challenge in writing the book was trying to narrow down which regional attractions to include. In its original form, the book was 36 pages. She pared it to 28 pages following an edit by her mother, who suggested the book be trimmed.
"I actually had it larger. There were more pages to it," Witherspoon said. "I brought the pages down and have him going to fewer places. It made it better and stronger to do it."
Witherspoon said in the news release she has been asked if she has a dog like Sparky.
"Gary and I have a yellow lab and a rescue dog who is a terrier mix. Our son always wanted a Jack Russell Terrier, but two dogs are enough," she said.
"I just thought the personality of the dog in the book fit a Jack Russell," she added. "He's a fun-loving dog."
Witherspoon has been invited to hold book signings in several communities in the region and been pleased with the response to the book.
"It's especially fun to hear little kids say, 'I've been there!' when we turn the pages and they see Big Brutus, or the Safari Museum, the Iola bandstand or the other attractions in our corner of Kansas," Witherspoon said in the release.
Witherspoon said she is also hopeful the book will encourage children and their families to explore more of the area.
At the end of the book, a website is listed to find out more about all the places Sparky visited while on his trip, the release said.
The book, which costs $20, is currently available at Country Cupboard, 12 N. Main St., and comes with a stuffed Sparky doll, Witherspoon said.
Prior to publishing Southeast Kansas Living, Witherspoon was publisher of the Humboldt Union, a reporter and photographer for the Chanute Tribune and the Iola Register, and also has had numerous freelance articles published in regional and national magazines.
She also worked for Tri-Valley Developmental Services, which provides services to persons with developmental disabilities in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson counties.
She said this is her first attempt at writing a children's book.
"It's kind of unique for me. I've never done this before," she said.