The Messenger received a strange request last week. Author Susan Lingo e-mailed asking permission to use Joe’s photo of the chupacabra in a children’s book. (See above.)
It’s true. The hairless, creepy creature (read: raccoon) will be featured in an elementary reader. The legend of the chupacabra is just one of the stories in the book, and Ms. Lingo said she plans to use the photo at the end of the book where she will give various theories about whether the legend is based on fact or fantasy.
When the creature was discovered last month, it sent Wise County into a tailspin, and the story received nationwide coverage. T-shirts were made, jokes ran rampant and of course, we had a lot of fun with it in the newsroom. And now, it will be remembered in the pages of a children’s book.
El chupacabra lives …
Tags: Authors, children's book, school