JENNINGS — Grandmother and granddaughter duo Glenetta Shuey and Audrey Durio have teamed up to publish an illustrated children’s book about two cousins who are unique and different, but love one another so much.

Written by Shuey and illustrated by Durio, “The Not So Perfect Pair” is based on the childhood memories of Durio and her cousin, Abby. The two were born six weeks apart and were raised almost like twins, but with totally different personalities, Shuey said.

“From the time I can remember they were so different,” Shuey said. “They looked different — Audrey is blonde, blue-eyed, and Abby has really blue-eyes, almost navy blue, she has darker hair and is rambunctious. From the time I can remember Abby was always getting into everything and she was not apologetic….not bad trouble just mischief.”

Shuey hopes the story shows others that differences don’t matter and differences in people is the key to making  interesting relationships.

“We want people to know that it’s not about being just alike,” she said. “It’s about the fact that you can accept people as they are and love them just as they are without trying to change them.”

The book is the first for Shuey who is a Lake Arthur native and a retired English, speech and drama teacher at South Cameron High School, Lake Arthur High School, McNeese State University and Sowela Technical Community College.

The book was easy to write because it was all based on real accounts of the pair growing up and getting into mischief, she said.

“It goes into their present day because I talk about how they learned from each other,” Shuey said. “Audrey basically learned to be fearless by being with Abby. As she got older she faced her fears. She got on stage at the Strand Theater for one of our plays and did a great job. That was hard for her because she is shy compared to Abby and she taught Abby about humility, kindness and compassion.”

The pair are still close and attend the same college, but don’t follow the same footsteps, Shuey said.

An 18-year-old freshman at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Durio is majoring in visual arts with a concentration in computer arts and animation. Abby, 18, also attends UL where she is majoring in marine biology.

Durio said it was a nice experience to have been able to work on a project with her “Granny” and illustrate a part of her childhood.

“Reading the story she wrote and illustrating pictures of me and Abby growing up was kind of nostalgic,” she said. “I love the personal attachment I have to this book, which is something I don’t feel for the other books I’ve illustrated. This is a project, not only for the public, but also something for my family to enjoy.”

She hopes the book will help younger children relate to their siblings and cousins.

Durio said she would like to do future projects with her Granny and others in her life. She and her friends have also discussed collaborating on future projects.

Durio spent a year working on the illustrations for the book, which she said came to her almost naturally.

“I used different memories and pictures of me and Abby during our childhood for inspiration,” she said.

The cover of the book is based on her favorite picture of Abby and her playing in the mud at their Granny’s house.

“I remember how I felt when she called me and told me her idea for it,” Durio recalled. “I almost cried because I thought it was so cute, and it meant a lot to us.”

Durio illustrated her first book, “Mo and Bo Have a Crawfish Boil,” while a freshman at Hathaway High School and is currently working on the illustrations for her third book.

“The latest book I illustrated was written by a girl my age who lives in Los Angeles,” Durio said. “This was a lot different for me. With the last two books I illustrated, the illustration designs and characters were completely left to my own ideas. For this one, I was given notes on what I had to do. It was definitely different for me, but I would say it was a good experience to learn how to conform to what other people want from me for a commission.”

Durio said illustrations are a great addition to the text in a book and she enjoys the reactions to them.

“It’s a great way to grab attention, especially for children,” she said. “I have never felt more satisfaction than hearing my mom’s students express how much they love looking at my work. Artistic media was always something that held my attention and inspired me as a kid, so I love having the opportunities to be that inspiration for others.”

“The Not So Perfect Pair”  is available in Jennings at My Sister’s Flowers, Zigler Art Museum and Old Magnolia Gift Shop and at Jolie Fleur By Meg in Lake Arthur.