“He’s a funny little character,” says Rosemary Hathaway of Qualicum Beach’s Beach Day mascot, Kwalli the seagull.
And now everyone can know why.
Hathaway, who drew Beach Day’s seagull mascot for the first Beach Day event six years ago, has written a children’s book about the character.
Though many Beach Day participants know her work, Hathaway had never been to the event herself, until last year.
That was what inspired Hathaway to write the book, which will be available in print at Beach Day on Sunday, July 23.
Though it’s not Hathaway’s first foray into writing.
An amateur illustrator, Hathaway was busy working on a few other children’s books about a cat named Rosemond when one of the original Beach Day organizers asked her if she could draw them a mascot.
“He said, ‘well, maybe a seagull,’ … I did a few drawings and that’s the one they chose,” said Hathaway.
Despite providing her drawing for the first Beach Day, Hathaway said she had never attended the event until last year, when organizer Tom Whitfield insisted she come and check it out, she said.
“So many people came up to me that I didn’t know and mentioned the little fellow on the t-shirts and I thought, ‘Well there should be a story to go with it.’”
Now the book is published, and will be available for purchase at Beach Day Sunday, July 23 down at the waterfront.
Hathaway said she’s very pleased with having the book published — her first as her four previous children’s books are available online only at www.rosemondpress.ca/.
The book features Kwalli, a little seagull who knows he will be great, but just doesn’t quite know how.
“He’s pretty determined, and he gets there in the end,” said Hathaway. “And it all ties in with Beach Day nicely.”