CAPE ARTIST ILLUSTRATES FIRST BOOK

~~`Ole Bill' was written by Desiree Palmer's great-aunt.

A few years ago, a great-aunt of Cape Girardeau housewife, mother and sometime free-lance artist Desiree Palmer asked her to read a children's story she'd written.

The aunt asked her to draw some sketches of the central characters -- freckled twin boys and their pet turkey.

"Her only request was that I try to bring the old bird's personality out through his eyes," Palmer said.

The result of their collaboration is the book "Ole Bill," newly published by Carlton Press of New York.

A 1981 graduate of Notre Dame High School, Palmer had designed logos for new businesses and art for flyers and brochures and ads. Illustrating a book was a new challenge.

"Not being very familiar with turkeys -- the kind that still have feathers, at least -- I searched for drawings or cartoons of the unusual bird, to get some ideas for my drawings," she said.

That wasn't working, so she went to Memorial Park to watch live turkeys.

"That's how I came up with Ole Bill," she said.

In the book, the twins have a lovely time raising Ole Bill on their family farm. That is, until Thanksgiving rolls around.

Palmer has three children: Katie, 9, Blake, 4, and Taylor, 20. Her husband, David G. Palmer, who is employed by the American Red Cross.

Illustrating the book has been an exciting experience, she says, especially when people ask her to sign one.

"Sometimes when I look at my name on that book cover I still have to pinch myself."

The author, Ruth Littell Erb, is a 1950 SIU graduate who taught school for many years in Marissa, Ill. Her late husband, Willard Erb, was the co-founder of Erb Equipment Co., which has a Cape Girardeau store.

The book, published by Carlton Press, sells for $7.95 and is available through local bookstores.