RAVENSWOOD -- The work of two Jackson County educators will be part of the Family Literacy Celebration on Sept. 21 at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston. The event is sponsored by Imagination Library and the West Virginia Library Commission in conjunction with International Literacy Month.

Imagination Library is a free book program created by country music entertainer Dolly Parton. Funded in the Mountain State by the West Virginia Legislature, the program provides age-appropriate books for each child through age 5 in 13 distressed counties as determined by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Imagination Library is available in 42 states.

Violet Smith, a kindergarten teacher at Henry J. Kaiser Elementary in Ravenswood, wrote a book entitled “Welcome to Kindergarten – An Alphabet.” The book was illustrated by her sister-in-law, Lola Smith, a watercolor artist and calligrapher who is an art teacher at Ravenswood Middle School.

The book was printed by McClain Printing of Parsons.

“I fell in love with the book when I opened it,” program director Robin Taylor said. “It’s a wonderful book with excellent color and illustrations.”

Violet Smith said she likes to explain to her class what school is like at the beginning of each school year.

“I am also eager to get my new (students) on the path to learning the alphabet,” she noted. “I have never found a book that could do both, so that is why I wrote this one.

“The book is for teachers, parents and, most importantly, children,” she added. “This book gives a child a peak at what life will be like in the big world of kindergarten. For example, ‘A is for alphabet’ and ‘B is for bus.’”

Children in kindergarten from the 13 Imagination Library counties will be transported to Charleston for the event. Violet Smith will lead a presentation about writing the book and the importance of reading. Lola Smith will entertain the children by doing some simple illustrations for them. The students will tour the new West Virginia State Museum and will take home their own sketch pad and colored pencils along with a copy of the book.