FEMA yanks Minn. coloring book with 9/11 terror attack image

A coloring book created by Minnesota's Freeborn County to help children cope with disaster has been removed from a federal government website after several complaints about the 9/11 illustrations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency removed the "A Scary Thing Happened" coloring book from their site because of several images of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on 9/11. The drawings show a plane about to hit one of the towers while the other one is burning.

Freeborn County officials created the book in 2003 after tornadoes struck in Glenville. The creators say this is the first time anyone has criticized the book's content.

The Smoking Gun obtained the coloring book and posted the images on their site. Download the full book here.

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In a statement, FEMA spokesman Clark Stevens said, "The coloring book, which was put online in 2003, was removed last week, and FEMA is currently reviewing all Web content designed and posted by the previous administration." Stevens declined to take any questions, including about any complaints the agency may have received.

Rose Olmsted, whose Freeborn County Crisis Response Team created the book, said she was not told "who complained or how many complained. They felt that they had to take it off the website."

The book was illustrated by Marlys Jentoft, a 68-year-old grandmother of 10.