BY KAYLEIGH FREEMAN
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Local author Kay Whaley and illustrator Kathy Hamrick have teamed up once again to bring readers the fourth story in the Tales of Sydney, a children’s book collection that follows the journey of Sydney, a Portuguese Water Dog, and her adventures in a small southern town.
The collection consists of four books: “Sydney Tours Eufaula,” “Sydney and the Masquerade,” “Sydney and the Christmas Star” and now, “Sydney’s Adventures in Aubieland.”
Released in 2024, “Sydney’s Adventures in Aubieland” follows Sydney and her friends as she faces the bad luck of stepping on the well-known Auburn University seal.
Whaley and Hamrick’s newest addition brings Auburn to life, highlighting some of the city’s most notable features.
“The plot of Aubieland was inspired by walking across campus and noticing that, at the right angle, the clock tower looked like a character I named Big Sam,” Whaley said.
Whaley also drew inspiration from Auburn University traditions and figures, introducing characters like “Sad George,” based on George Petrie, and “Major Delay,” based on an AU Marching Band drum major.
“Sydney’s Adventures in Aubieland” is the newest chapter in Sydney’s story, but the series itself began years earlier, inspired by Whaley’s family and hometown.
The inspiration behind the Tales of Sydney series
Whaley’s grandchildren were the main inspiration behind becoming a children’s author. One particular visit from her granddaughter, Emily, sparked Whaley’s imagination.
“On one of her family’s trips to Eufaula, my granddaughter Emily, who was five at the time, asked me, ‘MiMi, do you live in a magical forest?” Whaley said. “… To her, visiting Eufaula was like stepping into a storybook setting, and outside of a fairy tale, how many kids can say their grandparents live in a magical forest?”
Whaley aspired to write a book that would capture the charm of Eufaula for both her grandchildren and beyond, particularly highlighting the majestic oak trees, antebellum homes and alluring wildlife.
The idea began shifting to reality through a Facebook post — one featuring a Portuguese Water Dog named Sydney belonging to Eufaula veterinarian Dr. Jim Gardner and his late wife, Anne Gardner, who lost a hard-fought battle with brain cancer in 2021.
Anne posted a photo on Facebook featuring Sydney posing regally at Toomer’s Corner after an Auburn win, toilet paper strewn through the oak trees behind her and signature orange bandana fastened around her neck. From this post, Whaley knew that Sydney would help turn her ideas into reality.
“Sydney’s owner, Anne Gardner, creative in her own right, was a big supporter and educated our student audiences about Portuguese Water Dogs whenever we read to an audience of children,” Whaley said. “… She was so excited about the second book, and I feel as though the collection is a way to honor her memory.”
With Whaley drawing on her experiences and personal life for inspiration in her stories, she said she includes an author’s note in the back of each book to share what motivated her to write the story.
The collaboration
Whaley graduated from Auburn University in 1980 with a degree in secondary English education, going on to teach high school English for 31 years in Eufaula. After retiring, Whaley began working as grant director at Wallace Community College in 2013, a position she still holds part-time.
When she was not working as grant director, Whaley was brainstorming, planning and creating a fictional world. Shortly after putting pen to paper, Whaley sought an illustrator to bring the journey of Sydney to life.
That is when Whaley reconnected with Kathy Hamrick, a fellow Auburn University alumna. Hamrick graduated in 1980 with a degree in visual communications and has since worked as a freelance commercial design artist.
“Kathy and I have collaborated on a couple of other projects, so I had no doubt that she could make Sydney come to life on the page,” Whaley said.
To begin the illustration process, Hamrick draws thumbnail sketches with pencil, which Whaley and Hamrick discuss before moving to ink. After several rounds of edits, Hamrick uses watercolor to bring the artwork to life.
The process is time consuming and takes about two weeks for the completion of each page, Hamrick said.
“Just seeing and holding a finished book in your hands, it’s all worth the time,” Hamrick said. “It probably takes me three months to do a book overall, beginning to end. It’s very time consuming.”
The lasting impact
For Whaley, the most rewarding part of becoming a children’s author is the creation of a fictional world, one that inspires young readers to write and draw. A recent interaction with a student at Cary Woods Elementary reminded Whaley of the impact of her work.
“I was walking across the playground at Cary Woods recently to pick up my granddaughter from extended day,” Whaley said. “An excited little boy ran up to me and asked, ‘Are you the author of Sydney in Aubieland? I have that book at my house!’”
Whaley and Hamrick have participated in a variety of community events, including book signings and storytime sessions for children. In addition to this, they attended the Monroeville Literary Festival as a “Featured Children’s Author” earlier this year.
“During the Q&A at the schools we visited, we learned that some of these rural schools have had to cut their arts programs due to lack of funding,” Whaley said. “The children had never met an author or artist and were thrilled by our visit. Some told us they wanted to be either an author or artist when they grew up. It is very rewarding to inspire children to read and write and aspire to create.”
Whaley and Hamrick’s work has been recognized by the Dog Writers Association of America, receiving “Best Series of Illustrations” for both “Sydney Tours Eufaula” and “Sydney and the Christmas Star,” with the latter also qualifying as a finalist for “Best Children’s Story.”
The future of the Tales of Sydney
Sydney’s journey has not ended yet. Soon, she will be skiing her way to her next adventure in “Sydney and the Other Side of Rabbit Island.”
Alongside writing a fifth book, Whaley is also in the process of developing a website for the Tales of Sydney collection, where readers will be able to purchase the books online.
All four books in the Tales of Sydney collection can be purchased at Auburn Oil Booksellers. The newest release, “Sydney’s Adventures in Aubieland,” is also sold at Auburn Art, Well Red, J&M, the AU Bookstore and Alumni Hall in Auburn. In Opelika, the newest book can be found at Precious Cargo and The Gallery.
