Polson resident Joye Ann Albert has transformed a vivid memory from more than 50 years ago into a children’s book.

Albert can now call herself a published author after the release of “The Fair Sombrero,” based on real-life events from an adventure with her best friend Brenda at the 1958 Northwest Montana Fair in Kalispell.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading, and this event at the fair made such a big impression on me,” Albert said. “I thought it would be fun to share it.”

Albert was born in Oklahoma but moved to Montana by age five, living around Bigfork, Evergreen and Kalispell.

“I was the second oldest of seven and I had three brothers so I was on my own to entertain myself,” she said. “We lived in the country and books were a way to take off and go somewhere else for a little while.”

When she was 10 and living in Evergreen, she rode her horse Sunset in the Kalispell fair’s parade.

“Sunset was from Wild Horse Island,” Albert said. “My daddy bought her at an auction that helped reduce the population on the island.”

While Albert said riding in the parade was memorable, her description of the fair and its smells, and an event involving a rodeo bull the subsequent day were even more of an adventure, the details of which make up the story. The best part? She and Brenda, friends since age eight, still keep in touch, having the events of that summer as an eternal bond.

“Brenda and I are still friends, we still meet up occasionally,” Albert said. “She’s retired but still has some sheep up in the Kalispell area.”

Albert said the book was about a 10-year process, despite finishing the writing part relatively quickly. But finding a publisher, and illustrator, took longer than expected. Some events worked themselves together to finally get the process in motion. She said while asking at the Ronan City Library about a reference for an illustrator, Nancy Miller overheard her request and the two started talking.

“‘You know, my daughter in law, I think she’d enjoy doing it,’” Albert said Miller told her of her son’s wife Leah, who lives in Manhattan, Mont. “It took about two and a half years for her to get all the pictures and things ready, and then to find a publisher.”

Now the finished product is in her hands, and Albert couldn’t be happier. She had hoped to have it ready by late summer in time for the fair, but a few delays backed it up to the holidays instead. She’ll sign the book tomorrow at the Polson Senior Center during their monthly birthday lunch.

“Books just take you to so many different places and you can just learn so much from other people’s experiences,” Albert said. “I read to my five children the whole time while they were growing up.”

Those positive experiences Albert had with her children and books inspired her to transform her story into a teaching tool. “The Fair Sombrero” is a “Learn-to-Grow” book, meaning it has an extensive glossary and questions that can be used in a classroom setting.

“The book has been adopted to the home school curriculum,” Albert said. “A Polson fourth grade class will be using it as well.”

Albert has been a Polson resident for 37 years since she married her husband Fred.

“I got to marry my Prince Albert,” she said with a smile.

The two make up the band Heart to Heart, which plays frequently at the Elks in Polson and at different establishments around town. Joye plays bass while Fred plays lead electric guitar, she said, with a varied playlist that changes genres from song to song.

Music, her children and grandchildren are most important, but Joye said she hopes to continue creating stories for others to enjoy.

“I have another adventure that happened even before this one,” Joye said. “Hopefully this is the first book of many.”