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In
Print: An Island
adventure in picture and rhyme
September 1, 2005
By Ann Hollister
"Coco's Vineyard Vacation," by Sharon L.C.M. Kelly with illustrations by Alison Galbraith. Published by Secret Garden Bookworks. 2005. $16.95. 34 pages.
Sharon L.C.M. Kelly has highlighted dozens of Vineyard authors’ books in her gift shop, The Secret Garden, on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs over the years. This year, the shop features her own recently published book, “Coco’s Vineyard Vacation,” along with stuffed animals of the leading character puppies — Coco, Fifi, and Mimi.
The new, large hard cover book captures one’s attention with its colorful cover, featuring Coco, the chocolate lab puppy. After opening the book, one learns that Coco is destined for a Vineyard vacation while at the same time the reader is drawn in with a multitude of double sounds and words. On the one hand, the reader follows Coco’s adventures to familiar Island places such as the Flying Horses, the Gay Head Cliffs, The Yard, and the Agricultural Fair, all introduced in a rhyming format; on the other hand one is drawn to the variety of double sound or word combinations highlighted in colors that catch the attention on every page.
The reader learns about Bora Bora, Baden Baden, Walla Walla, and Puka Puka as she encounters the myriad double sounds and words. Others included in the ongoing text are bonbon, cancan, tutu, Dodo, gaga, as well as go go, aye aye, mahi-mahi, Rin Tin Tin, for a total of well over 100 of these pattern words.
In sum, there is a lot going on! One could simply enjoy the story of the puppy’s adventures a number of times through, and then focus on the repetitive words and their meanings. It becomes a puzzle embedded in a storyline with the added aspect of a geography lesson. There is a picture/word glossary in the back to explain the double words.
Without really planning it, Ms Kelly has been in the process of this book for almost 10 years. It began by her listening to the PBS radio show “Car Talk” and the brothers-hosts somehow talking about Yo-Yo Ma, the cellist. Then a hiking trip in England brought her attention to the word “ha ha” which is a moat-like ditch the English use to keep sheep on their land without blocking the scenery with a fence. From then on, Sharon was hooked and began a collection of double word sounds in earnest. The words became a kind of hobby, and then her neighbor got a chocolate lab puppy — unrelated events, one would think.
Next, about five years ago the store hired a young woman, Alison Galbraith, who would turn out to be the illustrator for a book not yet conceived. Since then, Sharon began writing her story, saw some sketches Alison did as doodles, and the book became fleshed out. Alison recently graduated from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. as an Art and Art History major and, because of the experience of illustrating “Coco,” is interested in pursuing illustration as a career. She was able to use her work on the book as a college project. Alison and Sharon collaborated on page setups, planning where text would fit, choosing types of illustrations (fanciful but clear), and the book became a reality. Along the way, Sharon showed her ideas to many librarians and teachers to get their feedback and thoughts.
Readers can now find the book at The Secret Garden, The Bunch of Grapes, The Flying Horses, and The Secret Garden store in Avon, Conn.
Ann Hollister taught third grade at the Edgartown School for 25 years. She is now a supervisor for on-site student teachers here from various New England colleges and an instructor for the Martha’s Vineyard Adult Learning Program’s ESL program.
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