Author uses childhood memories of the Missouri State Fair as inspiration for latest book

Members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri had a spine-tingling, goosebump-raising good time at the drop-in program in downtown Sedalia on Friday afternoon.

Dozens of school-age children were treated to a book reading by Jessica Swaim, a Sedalia native, published author and poet. Swaim debuted her latest book, “Scarum Fair,” to the group.

Before regaling the students with her writings, Swaim spoke to the group about her Sedalia upbringing. Swaim said she was born at Bothwell Regional Health Center and attended Sedalia school’s including Heber Hunt Elementary and Smith-Cotton High School.

Swaim recalled growing up within walking distance of the Missouri State Fairgrounds and visiting there often with a friend.

“We would go there in the summer and watch them set up,” she said. “And we would walk the midway after the fair searching for trinkets and treasures.”

“Scarum Fair” is loosely based on Swaim’s memories of growing up near the state fair.

“I used a lot of imagination in writing this book,” she said. “I made it silly and spooky.”

The children’s picture book, which hit bookstores in September, is a collection of poems that tell the story of a visit to a spooky fair. One poem tells the tale of a tattoo artist who inks bug tattoos that come to life. While another short poem talks of devil’s food cake that sets fairgoers tongues on fire.

A green, ghoul hand has a prominent and recurring role in the book and as Swaim read the poems, her brother, Bill Brown, acted out the hand scenes wearing an oversize, gnarly hand with long, black nails.

While the poems in the book were all written by Swaim, she told the students the illustrations were done by someone else. She explained authors “have nothing to do with the pictures.”

“The artist is free to use her imagination,” she said.

Following the book reading, Swaim invited the children to create their own scary fair book by writing poem and stories or drawing pictures. Swaim encouraged the children to invent new characters, add rides and create gross foods in their personal fairs.

Jonathan Hanning, 9, said his favorite part of the book was a poem about cat hair soup. “It was interesting,” he said.

Jonathan chose to create his fair on one of several large white boards set up at the club. He drew a large, round roller coaster with two spindly hands reaching for the riders.

“I call it the biggest roller coaster of all,” he said. “The hands are going to grab people, pick them up high and then put them down.”

Jacob Ideran, 7, said his favorite poem was the vampire wedding. And the second-grader chose to carry that into his fair drawing by creating a bloody scene with two vampires.

Following the writing exercise, Swaim autographed bookmarks and visited with the children.

“This is my first time to read this book to students,” Swaim said. “I say the 10-year-old boy in me wrote this book.”