Salazar collaborates children’s book series with writer and KV Museum editor

Local renowned artist Eddie Salazar recently made a deal to collaborate on a book series with published author Betty Barker, the wife of Pastor Ron Barker at Mountain View Baptist Church, in Lake Isabella.

Salazar, a muralist that locals regularly commission for work, plans to illustrate the books bringing local wildlife in the Kern Valley to life through fictional characters he created with his life and work partner Maria Baker. “Maria and I are writing these books for Kindergarten and first graders with Betty Barker.”

Salazar said, "I’m a visual guy. I'm always constantly working on my own paintings. Now I'm trying to dedicate my Tuesdays to the book."

What inspired Eddie to work on the project were his memories of story time in Kindergarten classroom, when he would lie there and imagine the story in his mind’s eye.

Salazar has already, previously illustrated a book for another local, published poet, Randy Hayes.

According to Salazar Marina Freeman, Editor for the Kern Valley Museum, told Salazar she could make the book for him. They would soon be meeting for Salazar to show Freeman his first illustration board.

"It's all going to be based on the Kern River's Blue Herring. It's a big huge bird with a long neck and wings that span like 6 feet long," Salazar said.

Harry and Harriett are the Blue Herring couple, that lives at the bridge, at the Kern River. Eddie has seen them, in real life, eating the fish and gulping down their food.

"This is the story, Harry and Harriett, and their trout friend Iris. And Baxter the Beaver and Dale the Duck will be characters. Other Characters must prevent Baxter from damming up the whole river," said Salazar.

This will be a kindergarten and first grade level reading, picture book, Salazar explained. "As an artist, I like bringing joy into people's lives with my art," he said.

"The Books will take a beating and keep on keeping for beginning reading."

Salazar is already working on the illustrations and story line. He's working on illustrating the unique character features that are not like previous animations.

"Children's attention span isn't too long, especially at that age. So I'm thinking it's more of a quick read through, with beginner sight words, and a couple words that could enhance their pronunciation, and their vocabulary. I want to make children eager to read, with adventure, and solving solutions. An author has to have some type of adventure where there's a dilemma and a resolution. I know that I could easily go down to that level and think like a kid," he said.

Salazar envisions his books to be like the Golden Books of a bygone era with hard, thick pages, that if an angry child throws it across the room, the pages don't rip. He hopes the pages would be like 1/16th of an inch thick. "I want to do something that's durable. I want to recreate that style of books from the 70s and 60s. They were thick, durable, and hard."