VALRICO, Fla. — It all started with a stuffed animal.
A giraffe named Spotty.
That furry little guy would inspire Valrico sisters Haylyn and Hadley Benton — ages 13 and 7 — to become published authors and illustrators eventually.
"It was a summer project," says Haylyn with a big bright smile on her face. "I was like, you know, let's do something fun, like write a book. It was a bedtime story for Hadley."
Hadley likes giraffes because "they don't eat people."
Their mom, Heather, is also an author, and when she saw what her girls had imagined, she connected them with a small publisher to make their dreams come true.
With Haylyn writing and Hadley helping with illustrations, the Benton girls have now published both "Spotty the Curious Giraffe" and "Spotty: The Great Rescue."
Haylyn also has her own project, the book "Samantha Plankgunn: The Journey Ahead," a young adventurer inspired by a pirate-centric trip to Walt Disney World.
All of the Benton sisters' books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other locations.
Proceeds from the books go to charities such as Kids & Art, ChatterGirls, Giraffe Ranch, and the World Wildlife Fund.
