Shoppers stopped by the Costco in Brandon on Saturday to find out what the Shelly's Adventures book series was all about.

Author Kentrell Martin was inspired by his brother to create the book and DVD series. Martin's brother is deaf, and so he wanted to bridge the gap between the hearing and the deaf through the eyes of the child character named Shelly.

"I want people to see that even though Shelly has a deaf father, it doesn't make her different because she's just like any other kid," Martin said.

In the first two books of the series, Shelly takes readers on an outdoor adventure and to the zoo. Each page teaches a new sign with the hopes of teaching others how to communicate.

"I thought that I could introduce American Sign Language to kids at a younger age ... so they will understand that someone being deaf doesn't mean they're different," Martin said. "They just use a different language."

That's exactly why shoppers like Jeanne Barnes purchased one of the books.

"I want (my grandchildren) to be exposed to all kinds of people," Barnes said. "I think the more exposure you have, the more accepting (of an) individual you are."

Martin said he hopes to have Shelly's Adventures as part of a 20-book series. The books can be found on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

For more information on the book series, go here.