▁co ck tail ▁nap kins , ▁gre eting ▁cards , ▁and ▁color ing ▁books . ▁ ▁She ▁then ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁start ▁writing ▁and ▁illustr ating ▁children ' s ▁books ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁After ▁a ▁ 6 - year ▁struggle ▁she ▁found ▁a ▁publish er ▁for ▁her ▁first ▁book , ▁Ch ick ens ▁Ar en ' t ▁the ▁Only ▁On es . ▁Her ▁books ▁are ▁written ▁in ▁a ▁rh ym ing ▁verse ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁Gilbert ▁and ▁S ull ivan , ▁H ila ire ▁Bel loc , ▁or ▁Dr . ▁Se uss . ▁ ▁Biography ▁H eller ▁received ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁She ▁paid ▁for ▁her ▁own ▁education ▁through ▁secret arial ▁work ▁and ▁proceeded ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁secretary ▁following ▁gradu ation . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁she ▁married ▁Henry ▁H eller ▁and ▁had ▁two ▁sons , ▁Paul ▁and ▁Philip . ▁ ▁M s . ▁H eller ▁completed ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁gradu ate ▁work ▁in ▁design ▁at ▁the ▁California ▁College ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁C raft s ▁in ▁Oak land , ▁and ▁got ▁her ▁first ▁art ▁job ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁design ing ▁nap kins , ▁match box es , ▁and ▁gift ▁wrap ▁for ▁Cost ▁Plus . ▁Henry ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁M s . ▁H eller ▁pou red ▁herself ▁into ▁her ▁career ▁from ▁then