In celebration of Read Across America Week, West Fallowfield Christian School (WFCS) hosted Cynthia Petillo, author of the children's book "The Adventures of Chips & Salsa." During her visit on March 7, she read her book to the students and provided information about her inspirations, the writing process and more.

Petillo was invited to the school by WFCS elementary coordinator and first-grade teacher Janine Richards, who met the author during a vendor event in Parkesburg.

Petillo explained that the book is about a good-natured beagle named Chips. He and his friends welcome a new dog to the neighborhood named Salsa, a tiny, shy Chihuahua. The two dogs become fast friends and, before they know it, find themselves on an adventure in the park.

Readers learn that even through Salsa is tiny, he proves that loyalty, friendship and love come in all sizes. "I like little dogs, and I always had little dogs," Petillo said. "I think that beagles are adorable, and Chihuahuas have such a big personality that I wanted to write a story about them."

Students took part in a question-and-answer session with the author, and one student asked about the writing process.

"I had the story up here in my head, and I knew what I wanted to write about - dogs and friendships and new experiences," Petillo said. "We have all gone through new experiences - maybe moving to a new neighborhood or school or meeting new friends. I sat down and typed the story into the computer, and then I had to rewrite it again. I found a publisher and read the story to him, and he liked it - a lot. And it took off from there."

Another student asked how the dogs in the book got their names. "About a few months before I created the book, I was at the Giant food market and it was right before the Fourth of July, when most people have picnics," she recalled. "As I was walking through the aisle, I wanted to find a snack for Fourth of July. I came across a big pallet that was loaded with all types of tortilla chips; I never knew there were that many kinds of tortilla chips. To the side, there were jars of salsa. I'm driving home, and I started thinking, 'Chips and salsa,' and it was ... stuck in my brain. The next day I decided to write a book about chips and salsa. Salsa is a perfect name for a Chihuahua."

After Petillo related the grocery store incident, Richards told the students, "You can find inspiration anywhere to write a good story."

Petillo, a resident of Kennett Square, pointed out that the setting for the book is Anson B. Nixon Park in Kennett Square. "They have a playground there, a big amphitheater where they have musicians perform, basketball courts, tennis courts and walking trails. It is a beautiful park," said Petillo. "If you have a chance to go there with a parent or maybe a class trip, I think you would really like it. They actually have an enclosed (area) for dogs to run around."

Petillo noted that the most difficult part of getting a children's book published was choosing an illustrator, adding that she eventually chose Ana Sebastian. "I can't draw, but I had an idea of how I wanted my characters to look," she said. "It took about a month to go through all the illustrators' portfolios to find someone I liked. When I saw (Ana Sebastian's) work, I liked what she put forth."

Petillo shared some words of wisdom with students who may be interested in becoming authors. "Whenever you do write a story, make sure it is something you are interested in or passionate about or something that happened to you," she stated. "What makes a story so good is believing in the story and having enthusiasm about it, and then you get to share it with other people."

Another student asked if any other books are in the works, and Petillo reported that she currently has a rough draft of her next title. "The possibilities are endless because adventures are there everywhere around us if we just open up our eyes and our mind," she said. "Chips and Salsa can have a lot of adventures for many, many years."

Her final message to the students: "As long as you love learning and reading and like meeting people, you will have so many adventures in your life. It is limitless what you can experience and what you can do."