THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409090303
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
FORGET MICKEY, Minnie and Mighty. Another Mouse is gaining fame.
Kilby Mouse is the mini-rodent hero of ``Kilby's Quest,'' a 56-page book written by Marcia Gray.
The imaginative Kilby Shores Elementary School teacher wrote the massive poem. Some of her 1993-94 students provided the illustrations.
Recently, the young artists gathered in the gym for an autograph-signing and book-selling session. The tome is $1 for students, $2.50 for others.
The rodent, the official school mascot, was not around that day. Or was he?
``Kilby is real to many kids. Some kids say they've seen and/or heard him,'' Gray said. ``He watches the good things kids do. Often, he leaves notes on blackboards for kids who've done well.''
Some children have written their own mouse tales, each interpreting the squeaky one in their own way.
``He is,'' Gray said, ``a mouse of 1,000 faces.''
One of them will adorn Kilby T-shirts, available this school year at the mouse's school of choice.
Kilby spends a lot of time furthering his education, Gray noting that he is ``a graduate of Mouse Academy.''
Is that a private school?
Kilby is a private mouse, keeping to himself whenever he is not busying himself at school or with the children.
Sometimes, according to the book, he travels.
The mouse from down-under the school grounds went to the land down under last summer, accompanying principal Sunny Dixon to Australia.
Kilby also accompanied Dixon on her 50th birthday celebration in a hot air balloon.
He enjoys all those good things, but the school bearing half his name is his favorite place.
``I drew a picture of him in the gym,'' said Tiffany Copeland, 11, now in the sixth grade at Forest Glen Middle School. ``I picked what I wanted to illustrate. I thought the gym would be interesting.''
Kilby passes the gym and heads to the library in an illustration by Stanley Allen, a 9-year-old fourth grader.
Gray's poems have him everywhere - including a visit to the school nurse to see if he came down with mousepox.
Kilby goes on a field trip with the kindergarten class to see a play at Chrysler Hall, makes the school's morning announcements, helps celebrate the holidays, eats at The Seahorse Cafe.
The poetry describing those adventures is well-written - Gray has had some poems on other subjects published elsewhere.
The childrens' illustrations are well done.
The project mixes skill with imagination.
And, it's not over yet.
Gray is planning a sequel. ``Kilby's Quest II?''
In case you don't get enough of the little guy, he is featured from January to December on the Kilby Shores 1994-95 school year calendar.
Page one explains the Kilby philosophy:
Kilby is an imaginary mouse,
That lives at Kilby Shores.
He really likes to investigate
As he travels and explores.
He looks to each experience
As a new opportunity.
He's eager to learn all he can
To be the best he can be.
Kilby respects his fellow school mates
As well as his fellow man.
He likes to help others in need
As much as he possibly can.
Kilby's personal philosophy
In his daily life at school,
Is to help others and learn all he can
Because to Kilby, learning is cool. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Tiffany Copeland, one of the student artists who illustrated
``Kilby's Quest,'' signs copies of the book. A teacher at Kilby
Shores Elementary School, Marcia Gray, wrote the poem.
by CNB