Publication aimed for kids—and former kids—who love KC’s park treasure
Author and illustrator Kevin Worley, who grew up in Kansas City’s Northland and frequently visited Penguin Park as a child, has published The Penguin Park Coloring & Activity Book. The book is currently available on Amazon, and a portion of proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to KC Parks for maintenance and upkeep of Penguin Park.
Worley has had success designing and selling other Penguin Park items in recent years, such as T-shirts, mugs, and framed posters. The coloring book, however, is his favorite park-related project.
“There’s something special about capturing the magic and nostalgia of Penguin Park in a way that others can participate, through coloring or solving the puzzles,” Worley says. “And, there’s really no age limits. I fully expect the coloring book to be enjoyed by children and their parents—and their grandparents.”
The coloring and activity book contains 15 original coloring pages and 15 original activity pages, all relating to Penguin Park. Worley says he’s had the idea for a coloring book for years, but the pandemic, combined with his new interest in digital drawing, brought the idea to the forefront.
“I used an Apple Pencil and the Procreate app to illustrate the entire book,” he says. “Then I used Photoshop and InDesign to create the publication files. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Penguin Park opened in 1957 as part of the Lakewood Greenway, eight years before the 25-foot tall fiberglass penguin was installed. Shortly after the giant bird was erected, locals began calling it “Penguin Park”, even though the name wasn’t made official until 1998.
SHOP
*Penguin Park Coloring & Activity Book on Amazon>>
*Penguin Park apparel, accessories, prints and more on Etsy>>
*Kevin Worley’s Penguin Park hub>>
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR
Kevin Worley has been a marketing communications and video-production professional since 1988. In between, he also taught art for five years for the North Kansas City School District. He now focuses on his creative services agency, Radial Drift, which offers illustration, design, and video production services. Worley lives in Downtown Kansas City with his wife Karen Gettinger and their big dog Kota.