Confetti Park

Author: Confetti Park

How to talk to your kids about human trafficking, by Stephanie Hepburn

Conversation With My Daughter About Human Trafficking by Stephanie Hepburn

This is a special edition of Confetti Park.

Stephanie Hepburn is a writer living in Louisiana. She is a weekly and monthly contributing writer to the New Orleans Times-Picayune and regularly contributes to other news outlets. Her most recent book, Human Trafficking Around the World: Hidden in Plain Sight, was released by Columbia University Press in June 2013.

Stephanie is an advocate for her fellow human beings, and works to help others not only through journalism, but also through activism and entrepreneurism. She recently founded Good Cloth, an ethical online clothing shop, as her way to make change in the garment industry and spread awareness on the topic of labor exploitation in a positive way.

Stephanie is the mother of two children, and has given much thought to how to talk about the difficult topic of human trafficking with kids.

We want to believe that trafficking can’t happen where we live, but it can and it does because it happens everywhere. Traffickers go to the same places we do, I tell her. They go where there are a lot of people like malls, schools, buses and train stations, and they use Facebook and other Internet sites to try to meet the people they will hurt. They can use classmates at school to recruit and find people to traffic. My daughter is little and this seems unreal, but it happens and we need to talk about it.

Stephanie has created this piece, Conversation With My Daughter About Human Trafficking, for Confetti Park (it also appeared in Huffington Post). You can download the eBook for free this week from Amazon.com.

If you suspect human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll-free at 1-888-373-7888.
Santi, “the little mouse that roared,” from Horn Book Magazine

A great review for The Little Mouse Santi!
“The mouse that roared” by The Horn Book Magazine

From the get-go, from just the title of this review from The Horn Book Magazine, we were thrilled. The Little Mouse Santi got an outstanding review from the illustrious Horn Book, which has been writing about children’s literature since 1927. It was created as a list to “blow the horn for fine books for boys and girls,” wrote Bertha Mahony Miller, one of the women behind America’s first bookstore for children, The Bookshop for Boys and Girls.

Confetti Park and author David Eugene Ray couldn’t be happier to be among that fine company. Thank you to reviewer Martha Parravano (executive editor of The Horn Book Magazine).

The Little Mouse Santi is a winner… a classic-feeling picture book for young readers…it has a child-friendly, universal story; clean illustrations that recall Japanese anime but are entirely original; effective use of double-page spreads and of page turns; and a funny twist at the end.

Read the review in full.
Storytime: Pink Hair by Gypsy Damaris Boston

Today’s featured children’s story is called Pink Hair, written by Gypsy Damaris Boston of Shreveport (and Ida). Her daughter, Janet Damaris Boston, also from Shreveport, is narrating this story. Pink Hair is a the true account of what happened to Janet as a little girl!

Janet gets herself into a delightful predicament when her hair turns pink! But her delight turns to dismay when some grown ups laugh at her.

Why do people think it is funny if you are different and don’t look like everyone else?
Music Memory from Ben Schenck

Panorama Jazz Band photo by Greg Miles

Ben Schenck is the recognizable face of the Panorama Jazz Band (and Panorama Brass Band). Tall, lanky, wielding his clarinet like a snake charmer, Schenck leads his vivacious troupes through the streets of New Orleans and on stages around the world. Their music is celebratory and joyful, drawing from New Orleans jazz, the tropical rhythms of the Caribbean and the exotic melodies of Eastern Europe.

In this episode of Confetti Park, Ben vividly recalls the elation of encountering a brass band during a parade when he was just a wee lad.

Thank you, Ben, for sharing this beautiful childhood music memory.
Music Medley: Trains and Sheep

Confetti Park is a community radio program out of New Orleans. We feature local storytellers and songs that kids love, songs created for kids, or created by kids, right here in Louisiana.  This medley of kids music shows the diversity of Louisiana musicians. Songs featured in this episode, in order:

Choo Choo Boogaloo – Buckwheat Zydeco
Choctaw Choo Choo – Confetti Park Players
Big Brown Cow – PH Fred
Ice Cream – George Lewis’ Ragtime Band
Music Memory Ben Schenk
Pig Latin Song – Leadbelly
La chanson ee cinquante Sous – Michael “Beausoliel” Doucet With Family & Friends
You Are My Sunshine – Confetti Park Players
Circle Of Life – Johnette Downing
Storytime: Ew! The Shabby Sheep by Scott Lemonier

“Ew! The Shabby Sheep”

This week’s Confetti Park Storytime feature is Ew! The Shabby Sheep, a terrifically fun story in rhyming verse, delightfully narrated by author Scott Lemonier.

In a town on a farm not far away,
There lived a sheep who loved to play.
Now, this sheep was odd, and quite smelly, too.
And because of all this, she was simply called Ew.

Poor Ew cannot find any friends. Is she just too shabby?

Scott is a veteran journalist of 26 years with the Times-Picayune, a teacher, and an accomplished children’s book author and illustrator. (And he is a talented vocal artist!) His freelance credits include illustrating and editing a variety of children’s picture books via Ally-Gator BookBites, a Lake Charles publishing services company.

Scott lives in a community on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana.
Music Memory from Jesse McBride

Jessie McBride. Photo by Paula Burch, courtesy Tulane University.

Jazz pianist Jesse McBride is the director of The Next Generation (begun by Harold Battiste), which features up-and-coming talent in the exploration of modern New Orleans jazz. Jesse is also director of jazz ensembles at Tulane University.

In this episode of Confetti Park, Jesse shares a music memory from his childhood. He talks about how encouragement from his family, and resources through his aunt’s nonprofit, the Community Music Center of Houston, fostered his love for music and cultivated his natural talent.

According to its website, the Community Music Center has roots dating back to the late 1970s, and it was an outgrowth of the black church. One of the wonderful programs of the Community Music Center is providing individual and group lessons & ensembles for children and adults!
Confetti Park is coming to Arnaudville!

Confetti Park is coming to Arnaudville this weekend! On June 18 and 19, Confetti Park host Katy Hobgood Ray will be at the NuNu Arts & Culture Collective. While in the area, Katy seeks to record musicians, storytellers, folklorists and others, including talented young children. Please contact confettipark@gmail.com to get on the schedule.

The Confetti Park radio program and podcast features children’s music and stories from Louisiana. Recorded music, field recordings, in-studio performances and interviews with musicians, authors, folklorists and other cultural representatives from across Louisiana are incorporated.

Katy curates commercial recordings as well as personal songs that well-known musicians may have created for their own kids, as well as small projects from after-school programs, churches and community groups. Each show is sprinkled with field recordings and childhood music memories of Louisiana musicians, as well as occasional bits of Louisiana folklore.

Confetti Park is currently broadcast on community radio stations in New Orleans (WHIV 102.3 FM) and Hammond (KSLU 90.0FM) and is being offered to other community radio stations around Louisiana for free. It will soon be will distributed internationally through PRX. Segments of the show are available in a free podcast on iTunes at http://bitly.com/confettiparkpodcast.

Katy and her family will also be at the Friday night potluck social at the NuNu. They are very excited!
Music Medley: Nacho Cheese & Snoballs

Photo by Lara Cerri via Flickr Creative Commons

Confetti Park is a community radio program out of New Orleans. We feature local storytellers and songs that kids love, songs created for kids, or created by kids, right here in Louisiana.  This medley of kids music shows the diversity of Louisiana musicians. Songs featured in this episode, in order:

I Love Nachos – Philip Melancon
A Tisket-A Tasket – The Swing Setters
Song of a Creole Slave – Terrance Simien
Les Tils Yeaux Noirs – Nancy Tabb Marcantel
Music Memory – Rockin Dopsie Jr
Joyeaux – Lee Benoit
The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog – Don Abney and his Catahoulas
Snoball Chant – Confetti Park Players
Snoball – Katy Ray

The Confetti Park podcast and radio program, hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. It showcases songs that kids love, songs created for kids, and songs created by kids. Sparkling interviews, in-studio performances, delightful music medleys, jokes, local author storytime, and a little surprise lagniappe make for an entertaining show!

Subscribe on iTunes
Storytime: Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud by Johnette Downing

In this episode of Confetti Park, Johnette Downing narrates her wonderful trickster tale, Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud.

Long ago, the Crab and the Crawfish used to be best friends. But one sweltering day, Crawfish is feeling lazy and decides to take advantage of Crab’s generosity. Young readers will enjoy the colorful collage art while they learn a lesson about the consequences of tricking other people.

This narration, which is available on Johnette’s Reading Rocks CD, is for sale as a book and available from Pelican Publishing on Amazon.com and from Johnette’s website. There is also a fun activity book associated with this story!

Johnette Downing is an award-winning and internationally recognized singer and songwriter. Her many accolades include Parents’ Choice Awards, iParenting Media Awards, and National Parenting Publication Awards. She is a favorite guest and contributor to Confetti Park!
Music Memory from Angela Russell

Angela Russell

Angela Russell is a violinist from Shreveport, Louisiana, who trained in NYC and who has played in symphony orchestras and rock bands around the United States. She has also taught hundreds of students a love for stringed instruments. Currently, Angela lives in Los Angeles.

Angela shares how she first discovered the violin in this childhood music memory.
David Eugene Ray finishes Mr. Schu’s sentences

Author David E. Ray holds his children’s book, The Little Mouse Santi, as well as his main inspiration, his son Louis. Photo by David Lee Simmons with NOLA.com

This past week Confetti Park author David Eugene Ray was interviewed by Mr. John Schu, a K-5 teacher-librarian and a well-known blogger, in a fun interview style. David finished all Mr. Schu’s sentences! Check out this wonderful interview!

Dave had the opportunity to discuss his book The Little Mouse Santi, the beautiful art of Santiago Germano, and what it’s like working at the Audubon Nature Institute (“the best work environment imaginable,” he says). He also talked about what it’s like to raise a child in New Orleans.

New Orleans is a place where people love life, and celebrate moments big and small. And the most misunderstood thing about the city is that it’s a very family friendly town, set up for kids to grow up amazed and inspired.

Read the full article here!