In a whimsical and colorful celebration of place, a new book, “V is for Vashon,” is the collaborative effort of three islanders working in the arts. The paintings are by Pam Ingalls, words by Tom Conway and design by illustrator and book designer Annie Brulé. The creative trio will read and sign copies of “V is for Vashon,” published by Chatwin Books, at 6 p.m. Friday at the Vashon Bookshop.

Given the island’s signature bumper sticker “Keep Vashon Weird,” a book that heralds the area’s quirky landmarks and unique geography — one for each letter of the alphabet — easily falls into the category of no-brainer. At least that’s how Brulé, co-founder of Chatwin Books, felt when she saw an online preview last November of Ingalls’ exhibit “V is for Vashon” at The Hardware Store Restaurant gallery.

“When Pam sent out her email announcement, I had my publishing brain going, and the show seemed like a natural for a book,” Brulé said.

Brulé added that she called Ingalls and had a short conversation, as Ingalls immediately said yes. That conversation was followed by many similar suggestions from viewers of the show. The idea for a book was in the air, Brulé said.

While the letter “K” in Ingalls’ ABCs of Vashon Island does not stand for keeping Vashon weird, it does represent KVI Beach. “B”is for Bicycle Tree; “G” is for Granny’s Attic, and “J” is for Jesus Barn. More obvious choices are “F,” which is for Ferry in the Fog, or “D” for Deer, but in a surprise to some, “U” is for the obscure sculpture at the airport called the UFO.

“That was my favorite,” Conway said, “because I didn’t know about it. So it was a discovery for me and fun to play with.”

Ingalls laughed when she said Conway’s prose about aliens from the UFO explained a lot about Vashon, adding how much she appreciated collaborating with him.

“He’s an amazing guy,” Ingalls said. “Everyone who knows him just loves him. I’ve wanted to work with him for a long time, but it was my partner Michael Monteleone who suggested Conway. Michael’s a filmmaker and had the original idea of an ABC film about Vashon.”

Though Conway has lived on the island for 11 years, he’s been visiting for over 25. As a commuter to jobs at Alaska Airlines and Expedia, Conway decided five years ago to jump ship and try to make his “life work where (he) lives.” He’s now employed by Herban Bloom, grows flowers for the wholesale trade and writes a blog called Tall Clover Farm. He was intrigued when Ingalls asked him to write the words to accompany her paintings.

“I like writing that kind of prose, “ Conway said. “The book had restricted space with an image to play upon, and I couldn’t love Vashon more, so it was the perfect undertaking. I would make copies of the paintings on a note pad, then chew on the images for a while. I wanted to be as true to the painting and as true to the perception of place or persona as possible.”

Ingalls has known Brulé, who grew up on Vashon, since she was 12 and calls her a delightful friend.

“So I was thrilled when Annie wanted to lay out the book,” Ingalls said. “I know how much work it takes, and she was really patient, plus Annie’s a Vashonite. She knows.”

Brulé said she has a long, rich and deep art connection with the island, so she is particularly excited about bringing out “V is for Vashon.” It is also the first art book Chatwin has produced, kicking off an art series for the publishing house.

“Two of our first three art titles are Vashon artists,” Brulé said. “We saw ‘V is for Vashon’ as a sweet way to make Pam’s work available to those who connect with her paintings but may not be able to collect them. There are so many fans of Pam and of Tom’s blog and lovers of Vashon. This really was a project born out of love,” Brulé said.

“V is for Vashon” will be available at area bookstores but Brulé said the target audience, for obvious reasons, is the people of Vashon. Conway concurred.

“I think what is particularly fun about the book is the way you see these stories unfold,” he said. “I recently listened to someone talk about the post office, and it was almost verbatim of what I wrote. I love the everyday stories. They’re a nice reminder that we live in a special place.”