Smelly Kelly: A Children's Book for Kids

I have written 2 children's books that as of yet are still unpublished. The first book I wrote several years ago was when my children were small. "Smelly Kelly" was inspired by my beloved Blue-front amazon parrot, who was "very smelly". The text for this book amazingly came to me while driving home from a visit with a friend. As I was on the freeway coming home that day, the whole book came to me and I pulled over and wrote most of the book right there on the side of the freeway. Over the next few days and months I played with the book, adding, editing and then doing rough sketches of the characters (the characters were drawn on binder paper - they are here in their original state - scanned into my computer)

I used to read "Smell Kelly" to my kids. They loved it and till this day have fond memories of our bird Kelly and the book that mom wrote about her. The only thing that has kept me from finishing this book is the final creation of the illustrations. I don't know why that has not come together sooner, after all, I am an artist, but for some reason this book has sat lonely in my special wooden briefcase where I keep all my old writings.

I am now considering having my seven year old grand-daughter complete the illustrations. She is a budding young artist and has an eye for making cute and whimsical creatures on paper. I think this would be a great project for us, and it would serve many purposes. It would be awesome to finish this children's book and it would be a great grandmother - grand-daughter bonding project.

Although Smelly Kelly reads more like a poem, it is meant to be a book. I think it's awesome as a poem but would be even better with full color illustrations of Kelly taking a shower, Kelly praying, the trip to the pet store and Kelly in her warm snuggly bed.

I hope you enjoy "Smell Kelly" and I welcome all comments and advice or book ideas to help me get Smelly Kelly published. I think it would be a a great book for the younger crowd (ages 2-10) that love animals and love rhyming books with lots of color.

SMELLY KELLY

Kelly was smelly

Kelly's belly was smelly too

Oh, What's a poor parrot to do?

It could be the way I play

much to late in the day,

Or it could be the way

I lay in the hay.

Whatever way it is, Kelly said

"I'm just much to smelly",

Said poor Smelly Kelly.

Oh what's a poor parrot to do?

I'll get some money and go to the store

I'll walk through the door

Get down on me knees

and beg please, pretty please

"Can you help me get rid of this belly?"

Said poor Smelly Kelly.

No problem said the man,

"I quite understand"

"Don't worry, there's hope!"

as he gave Kelly some soap.

With a great big sigh

Kelly gave it a try

and then she said, why

"IT WORKS!"

Thank you so much Kelly said,

as she patted her head

in her warm feather bed.

@Copyright Dorsi Diaz 1994

Kelly the blue-front amazon parrot was a beloved member of our family for 10 years. Although she was usually just "OK" with other people, she was madly in love with me and could get easily jealous. She would cry like my sons, yell like I did saying "stop that right now!" and would laugh at our dog. She played with cats and dogs and was a real character. Oddly enough, one morning, I found her dead at the bottom of her cage. I was devastated. Later that day when I visited my mom in the hospital, my mother cried when I told her Kelly had died.

Those were the last tears my mother ever shed. Later that evening my mother died too.

I will never forget that day. My beloved mother and beloved fur-baby both passed away on June 16th, 2004.

This book, "Smelly Kelly", is dedicated to my mother, Mary Doreen Campbell.

@Copyright Dorsi Diaz 2011

(Dorsi Diaz is a freelance writer/publisher, artist and photographer)