Category: News

The Little Mouse Santi Receives GOLD Mom’s Choice Award

The Little Mouse Santi is a Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Recipient

The Little Mouse Santi, written by New Orleans author David Eugene Ray, has earned the prestigious gold Mom’s Choice Award®. Having been rigorously evaluated by an MCA judging panel, The Little Mouse Santi is deemed to be among the best products for families.

The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named The Little Mouse Santi, a children’s book about a mouse with identity issues, as among the best in family-friendly media, products and services. This is the first book release from Confetti Park, an independent publisher and children’s media workshop in New Orleans.

The Little Mouse Santi is a 32-page illustrated children’s book that explores one of the most important aspects of a child’s life, the search for identity. Santi wants to be a cat, and he must confront his fears in order to realize his dream. The story ends with a whimsical twist: Santi learns a valuable lesson about self-determination and also learns he is not the only dreamer!

The Little Mouse Santi

The Little Mouse Santi was written by David Eugene Ray (@Aquarium_Dave on Twitter), a former schoolteacher who works at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. It was illustrated by Santiago Germano, an animator and illustrator from Uruguay.

“We are proud to earn the Mom’s Choice Awards gold seal of approval,” says Katy Hobgood Ray, founder of Confetti Park. “We know all the great things the MCA does to connect consumers, educators, and caregivers with the best products and services available for families. I hope this award will bring awareness to the quality kids’ stuff coming out of Confetti Park!”

“Our aim to introduce families and educators to best-in-class products and services,” explains Dawn Matheson, Executive Director of the Mom’s Choice Awards. “We have a passion to help families grow emotionally, physically and spiritually. Parents and educators know that products and services bearing our seal of approval are high-quality and also a great value.”

The Little Mouse Santi was released in early 2015, and has received excellent reviews, including a Kirkus star. It is available for sale for $15 through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, some independent booksellers, and at the Confetti Park website.

About Confetti Park

Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop, podcast, and weekly radio program based out of New Orleans. The name for Confetti Park comes from a small playground in the heart of Algiers Point, a neighborhood on the bank of the Mississippi River. The next release from Confetti Park is a CD of original children’s songs inspired by life in Louisiana, out in Fall 2015, featuring a chorus of kids and a lineup of New Orleans musicians.

About the Mom’s Choice Awards®

The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) evaluates products and services created for children and families. Products and services bearing the company’s mother-and-child Honoring Excellence Seal of Approval have earned the MCA distinction for helping families grow emotionally, physically and spiritually; being morally sound and promote good will; and are inspirational and uplifting.

The MCA program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. The organization is based in the United States and has reviewed thousands of entries from more than 40 countries.

In addition to being a best-in-class company for the awards industry, the Mom’s Choice Awards provides collaborative lifetime marketing and promotional support to its Honorees. The company has invested heavily in creating educational, marketing and event opportunities to help Honorees and Distinguished Alumni reach their key markets effectively.

Around the world, parents, educators, retailers and members of the media look for the MCA mother-and-child Honoring Excellence Seal of Approval when selecting quality products and services for children and families.
Learn more about the Mom’s Choice Awards by visiting their website: www.MomsChoiceAwards.com.

The Little Mouse Santi from Confetti Park on Vimeo.
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.
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 [email protected] 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!
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!
A Kids’ Chorus Comes Up in Algiers

Watch out for the pirates!

New Orleans journalist Michael Patrick Welch just wrote a really fun article for NewOrleans.me on the Confetti Park Players: A Kids’ Chorus Comes Up in Algiers. It discusses the origins of our chorus in Algiers, and gives an overview of our first year. Some of our kid singers are even interviewed!

Our first CD is called We’re Going to Confetti Park. It was recorded at Marigny Recording Studios and features some amazing New Orleans artists collaborating with the kids, including Johnny Vidacovich, Jon-Erik Kellso, Evan Christopher (Clarinet Road), Matt Perrine of Bonerama , Patti Adams of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Beth Patterson, Tom McDermott Roger Lewis of Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dave Rosser On Guitar, Brian Coogan of Pretty Lights, Tim Robertson Music, Jason Rhein of Rotary Downs, Rick Nelson of The Afghan Whigs and so many more…… album will be out late summer. https://confettipark.com/music/

You can visit our Soundcloud channel for sneak peaks!
An “A” for The Little Mouse Santi

Confetti Park is so proud of the great reviews rolling in for The Little Mouse Santi! We got an A from the School Library Journal, a prestigious publication that has been printing since 1954. This publication is a go-to for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians as they decide which books to order. Thank you Teri Markson and thank you to School Library Journal, for helping us spread the word about Santi! Librarians, if you want to order our book (and we hope you do!), please order through IPG.

School Library Journal

05/01/2015

K-Gr 2—In this simple ode to felines and the power of one’s heart’s desire, little mouse Santi has only one wish: to be a cat. Every day he watches the cats on the farm and practices strutting, meowing, ignoring others, and pretending to be bored, all the while wishing he could join them for naps in the sun, romps in the grass, and cozy snoozes in the lap of the farmer’s wife. The other mice laugh at him, but he doesn’t care, and one day he finally gathers the courage to become a cat…with surprising results. The spare text and clean lines give the book the look and feel of an animated cartoon, while gentle visual humor and winsome facial expressions add depth to Santi’s longing. VERDICT A sweet and appealing book that speaks of the need to confront one’s fears in order to realize a dream.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
Spring reviews of The Little Mouse Santi

Spring reviews for The Little Mouse Santi are trickling in. We love this one from Midwest Book Review‘s “Children’s Bookwatch” May 2015 issue:

The Little Mouse Santi is an extraordinarily entertaining read and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library picture book collections for young readers.” Read more

And there is this very thoughtful review from The Dorky Daddy, who wants more Santi! “I really did enjoy it. If I had a critique it’s that I liked it enough that I wanted more from it.”We understand, Dorky Daddy! Read more
Kid-friendly podcast debuts on iTunes

Katy Ray at the station

A kid-friendly podcast called “Confetti Park” debuted this month on iTunes, delivering children’s songs, stories, and kid culture from Louisiana to the world.

Podcast episodes, free for download, feature weekly story time narrated by Louisiana authors. There are also lagniappe episodes featuring skits, music medleys, and studio performances by Louisiana musicians, all geared toward children. The podcast is available on iTunes at http://bitly.com/confettiparkpodcast or at https://confettipark.com.

“A lot of ‘kid music’ is adults singing down to kids,” said host Katy Hobgood Ray, a Louisiana musician who created the show for New Orleans radio. “But in Louisiana, music permeates the fabric of our daily lives and is naturally kids music—danceable and full of whimsy and fun. I hope, through Confetti Park, to show that kids music can be really good.”

Ray travels the state to collect children’s stories, folklore, and childhood reflections for the show, which airs every Saturday in New Orleans at 12:30 p.m. on WHIV-FM 102.3. She directs a children’s choir in New Orleans called the Confetti Park Players, who play an integral part in the soundscape of the program.

“I hope our stories and music appeal to people everywhere,” says Ray. “There is magic in Louisiana that transcends age and place.”

ABOUT CONFETTI PARK
Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop in New Orleans. We create books, mobile apps, music, videos, and special events geared toward celebrating and growing the wonder and magic of childhood. For more information, visit https://confettipark.com

ABOUT THE HOST
Katy Hobgood Ray works in communications at Tulane University. She has a master’s degree in musicology from Tulane and is a former content producer and host for Red River Radio, an NPR-affiliated public radio network in north Louisiana.
Louisiana kids radio show Confetti Park debuts April 4

Katy Hobgood Ray at the station

On Saturday, April 4 at 12:30 p.m., a new kids radio show called “Confetti Park” will hit the airwaves of New Orleans on WHIV 102.3 FM.

“Confetti Park,” hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. There will be skits, interviews, and studio performances by local musicians, and a weekly story time. A podcast version of the show will be available on iTunes.

“New Orleans is not often thought of as a kid-friendly city, and more frequently than not, ‘kid music’ is adults singing down to kids,” said Ray. “But here in New Orleans, music permeates the fabric of our daily lives and kids integrate naturally with our live music scene. I hope, through Confetti Park, to show how kid-friendly New Orleans is, and also, to show that kids music can be really good. A lot of Louisiana music is naturally kids music—danceable and full of whimsy and fun.”

“Confetti Park” will air at 12:30 p.m. every Saturday on WHIV 102.3 FM in New Orleans and via live stream at http://www.whivfm.org/.

Ray, who works in communications at Tulane University, has a master’s degree in musicology from Tulane and is a former content producer and host for Red River Radio, an NPR-affiliated public radio network in north Louisiana. She directs a children’s choir in New Orleans called the Confetti Park Players.

The name for Confetti Park comes from a small playground in the heart of Algiers Point.

WHIV FM RADIO
Launched in late 2014, 102.3 FM is a low power community radio station for New Orleans. Featuring programming from the Pacifica Network, WHIV is dedicated to public health, human rights and social justice. During the day, WHIV features local New Orleans and Louisiana news and current events. In the evenings, weekends, and holidays, WHIV broadcasts locally DJ’ed shows highlighting New Orleans music and culture. For more information, visit http://www.whivfm.org/

CONFETTI PARK
Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop in New Orleans. We create books, mobile apps, music, videos, and special events geared toward celebrating and growing the wonder and magic of childhood. For more information, visit https://confettipark.com
Pirate Video Shoot

Watch out for the pirates!

Today the Confetti Park Players had an awesome time shooting a video for a feature song of our upcoming CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park. The song, called “Watch Out for the Pirates,” was written by Greg Schatz and Katy Ray. What better way to illustrate the song than with NEW ORLEANS PIRATES?

This weekend was the kickoff for NOLA Pyrate Week, a festival celebrating the pirate heritage and culture of South Louisiana. Too Perfect! We owe a huge thank you to the wonderful pirates, Captain John Swallow and QM Seika Hellbound and their NOLA Pyrates crew for telling our kids stories, teaching us how to swashbuckle, and sharing with us important pirate history and lore.

The hosts of the shoot were the wonderful owners and staff at Pirates Alley Cafe at 622 Pirates Alley behind St. Louis Cathedral. Thais, the kids loved their treasure!

And thank you to ‘Ween Dream! The kids were outfitted in loaned pirate costumes by ‘Ween Dream, a costume donation 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recycles donated Halloween costumes and gives them to kids in need. http://www.weendream.org/

The kids will be dressed as pirates again for our French Quarter Fest appearance, in the Kids Tent on Sunday, April 12 at 11 a.m.

And another thank you to our sweet videographer, filmmaker Ava Santana-Cassano.

Watch out for the Pirates!!!
The Confetti Park Podcast

We are very excited to announce the debut of the Confetti Park podcast—a show for kids of all ages. We will feature magical, locally-spun music and stories created right here in Louisiana. Subscribe on iTunes!

The radio program version launches on the air on April 2015. Listen for us in New Orleans on WHIV 102.3 FM New Orleans every Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

Here is a sneak preview of things to come.
Catch a reading of The Little Mouse Santi

Author David Eugene Ray reading from The Little Mouse Santi. Photo by Sally Asher

David Ray recently wrote a guest blog post for Elizabeth Dulemba about the genesis of The Little Mouse Santi and going the indie route to publishing a children’s book. Thank you, Elizabeth, for the opportunity to share our story!

We had a wonderful time at our recent book signing in Shreveport, Louisiana. What a warm, receptive group of people who came to the Barnes & Noble on Youree Drive. We hope you are enjoying your books.

Next up, on March 21, 2015 at 2 p.m., there will be a reading and book signing for The Little Mouse Santi at Barnes & Noble, 2590 CitiPlace Court, Baton Rouge, LA.

Hope to see you there!

Category: News

School Library Journal