Meet the Illustrator and Author

 My name is K.S. Barrett,

I am a native Floridian, and I live here with my husband and amazing daughter. Illustrating is among my professional and personal hobbies. The others are graphic design, writing, singing, being silly, and having a profound love of animals. There has never been a dog, horse, or dolphin the I didn't like or didn't like me.  I enjoy leaving my farm to visit with Filly at Tina's river house. 

My name is Tina Schipfer.

The first dream that I had was to be a teacher.  It took me years of hard work to achieve that dream.  Thankfully, I did it; and I absolutely loved being a teacher! As I read stories and modeled writing for my elementary students, a new dream was born.  That dream was to write a children's book series.  The Adventures of Filly the Dolphin and J.P. the Horse Series is that book series.

I live on the Alafia River and have been inspired by the events that take place there and the animals (especially  by the dolphins- Filly and Tipper).  These dolphins have been to visit me on at least 50 different occasions.  They enjoy fishing and playing by my dock, but I have never fed them or gotten in the water with them.  Filly and Tipper are so friendly, but they are still wild animals.  Many of the events in the book are taken from real life scenarios that I have witnessed, and  they are fascinating to share!

Through Hillsborough County Public Schools, I obtained a manuscript consultation with a winner of the Silver Medal for Fiction. The author had some wonderful suggestions for me, which I have already implemented. She said: "You have a terrific sense of humor and pacing.  Your characters are compelling and your dialogue is snappy and bright. Keep going!  You can really turn this into something special."  That is our goal for Filly and her friends!