Writer Sarah Shey has set her books--and much of her writing--in rural Iowa where she grew up.

SARAH SHEY has written two children's books inspired by her childhood in rural Iowa and has contributed essays and articles to several anthologies, magazines and newspapers.

SKY ALL AROUND (Trafford, 2005) highlights the charms of a farming town—crop dusters, trains of grain and nights of noisy silences. The book, at once realistic and lyrical, blooms with evocative watercolor. DUSTIN KELLY, a native of northeast Iowa, illustrated the book.

BLUE LAKE DAYS (Trafford, 2006) follows a little girl on her vacation at Lake Okoboji. The playful text paired with the imaginative illustrations creates a picture book that is both amusing to read and captivating to behold. SARA FLETCHER drew the pictures while living and studying in Iowa City, Iowa.

The original illustrations from these children's books have been exhibited at the Lakes Art Center's Secondary Space in Okoboji, Iowa, at the Art Guild of Burlington in Burlington, Iowa, and at The Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in the Dresser-Robinson Gallery.

A few of Sarah Shey's works, including Kelly's illustrations, are currently being featured in a group show in Gallery Off First in Mount Vernon, Iowa, a space run by Cornell College students.

Shey's books are for sale at www.amazon.com, www.target.com, www.trafford.com and in Iowa and Brooklyn, New York, at independent booksellers. Posters (size 8x10) made from the illustrations of these books are available through the author and at shops and galleries in Iowa.