I am pre-selling my new children’s book and song, Candy Land Ball, on Indiegogo. Please consider supporting my campaign at https://igg.me/at/candylandball/x/11554329. Lots of wonderful packages available! Here is an update from the campaign.
You guys! THANK YOU! One week in, and I am already over $1000 and over 30% of the way toward my goal! I am so very appreciative of your support. The book will soon be in your hands, and I hope that it makes people happy and feel warm and fuzzy… it’s just perfect for the holiday season.
I have lots of fun back story to share with you about this song and book.
I want to say who is playing on the song version—every single copy of the book will come with a download code for the song. I am indebted to the following amazing musicians who are featured on this recording:
Tom McDermott, piano; Michelle Nelson, background vocals; Rick G. Nelson, strings; Matthew Perrine, tuba. Kids chorus: Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, and Hrilina Ramrakhiani.
And, I must give a shoutout to my wonderful mom Janet Hobgood and friend Ted Lindsay, who brainstormed with me on piano while writing this music and crafting the fun lyrics, and to my beautiful cousin Emily Zeisler for transcribing the piano music which is included in this book.
David Eugene Ray will be selling and signing copies of his award-winning book, The Little Mouse Santi, at the New Orleans Baby & Child Fest on October 1st from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Pontchartrain Center. Look for him at the Confetti Park exhibitor booth. We will also be selling copies of our Parents’ Choice Award-winning CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park!, and taking pre-order for our newest children’s book, Candy Land Ball.
The Little Mouse Santi is a Moonbeam Award winner, a recipient of the prestigious gold Mom’s Choice Award, the coveted Kirkus star and was named one of the Best Books of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews! It was illustrated by Santiago Germano.
Get an autographed copy for a discounted price at the New Orleans Baby & Child Fest, a fantastic annual event offering great deals and family fun for moms and dads, expectant parents, grandparents and children from babies to middle school.
Learn, Shop & Play with 100 vendors from birthing to boutiques to party places. Take a break with your kids in the kids zone with inflatables, face painting, art & lego workshops, photo booth, a toddler play area and more. Learn more at http://www.neworleansbabyfest.com/
Enjoy free shipping & 20% off children’s books and CDs from the Confetti Park workshop, created right here in New Orleans. Use code ‘nolakids’ when you order directly through Confetti Park at confettipark.com/shop.
New Orleans kids’ choir director launches Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a children’s book and song called “Candy Land Ball”
What:Candy Land Ball, a children’s book (36 pages) about a magical night at the ball, written in rhyming verse and beautifully illustrated by watercolor artist Emanuela Serafina. It comes with piano sheet music and a download code for the song performed by Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players. The book is being pre-sold book on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to cover production and printing costs. The author’s goal is to raise $3000 in pre-sales.
When: The crowdfunding campaign runs from September 25-November 24, 2016. Autographed books and CDs and other perks will be shipped to supporters in the first week of December 2016.
Where: Four special packages are available for sale at https://igg.me/at/candylandball/x/11554329. Packages range from $15-$100, and include perks such as autographed books, CDs, musical toys, and gourmet candy gift baskets.
Why: The Candy Land Ball story book is the follow-up to the recorded song from the Parents’ Choice® Award-winning children’s music album, We’re Going to Confetti Park!featuring Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players. The story was inspired by an annual event that raises funds for parks and children’s programming in Algiers Point for 501(c)3 Confetti Kids, Inc. A portion of proceeds from the campaign will go to Confetti Kids, Inc., an organization for which Katy has volunteered for four years. This is the second children’s book from Confetti Park. The first, The Little Mouse Santi, was named a Best Book of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews and won a Moonbeam Award and Gold Mom’s Choice Award.
Learn more at confettipark.com. Media members, please email for inquiries or call 504-650-1238.
The newest book from Confetti Park is called Candy Land Ball! Inspired by real events and a song, this children’s book has been beautifully illustrated and is ready for print. We are taking pre-orders now through Indiegogo, and it will be shipped in time for the holidays!
The song “Candy Land Ball,” which is on our first CD, was inspired by an annual event in my neighborhood. The Candy Land Ball is a magical children’s ball that raises funds for parks and children’s programming in Algiers Point for 501(c)3 Confetti Kids, Inc. I have volunteered for this organization for four years, and today, I am the president! A portion of proceeds from the campaign will go to Confetti Kids, Inc.
The song, with scenes of rock candy mountains and lollipop trees, was just begging to be illustrated. This will be the second children’s book I have published from my little workshop in New Orleans. The first, written by David Eugene Ray, is called The Little Mouse Santi. It won several awards and was named by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Indie Books of 2015! What an honor.
What We Need & What You Get
The Candy Land Ball has been beautifully illustrated by watercolor artist Emanuela Serafina, and it is ready to print! In order to cover production costs and print 500 copies, I need to raise $3000 in pre-sales. I have created several packages for my Indiegogo supporters. Among the perks:
An autographed book, the Candy Land Ball, with piano sheet music and a download code for the song. Autographed by me, Katy Hobgood Ray.
The CD We’re Going to Confetti Park!, with 21 tracks of magical songs and jumprope jingles featuring a kids chorus and a star-studded lineup of New Orleans musicians. This CD won a Parents’ Choice® Award and includes the song “Candy Land Ball.”
An autographed copy of The Little Mouse Santi, our first children’s book, which won a Moonbeam Award, a Mom’s Choice Award, and was named by Kirkus Reviews as A Best Indie Book of 2015. Autographed by author David Eugene Ray. (Listen for the track “Dream Big, Little Santi” on the CD!)
For top level supporters, a splendid gourmet candy gift basket—the stuff of the sweetest dreams at the Candy Land Ball!
10% of every transaction on Indiegogo will be donated to the nonprofit 501(c)3 Confetti Kids, Inc. I have been a passionate volunteer for this grassroots volunteer organization ever since my son was born.
Thank you for your support!
I am so grateful to you for supporting the Candy Land Ball storybook! I hope you love your perks, the music and the stories. Please help me get the word out about this campaign if you know someone who would enjoy them, too.
Connect with me on Facebook. I’ll keep you updated on my progress!
It’s Confetti Park Storytime! In this episode, we hear a wonderful New Orleans tale based on our favorite contemporary street vendor, Mr. Okra. The story was written in collaboration with Mr. Okra by Lashon Daley, and illustrated by Emile Henriquez. We are so lucky to have the story narrated for us by the author!
And who is Mr. Okra? He is Arthur Robinson, a real life man who lives in New Orleans today! He a street vendor who sells produce from a truck. We New Orleanians love to hear his recognizable call.
“Up and down the streets of New Orleans, Mr. Okra drives his brightly painted truck. All over the city, you can hear his call: ‘I got oranges and bananas! I got tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocadoes!’ His fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables are as colorful as Mardi Gras floats, as green as the St. Charles Streetcar, and as different as the animals at the Audubon Zoo. Taste and tour New Orleans in this colorful story.”
Lashon Daley and Mr. Okra
Lashon Daley came to New Orleans to work with a nonprofit rebuilding organization as an AmeriCorps member. During that time, Daley discovered the joys of performing as a storyteller, sparking her interest in New Orleans folklore and the stories residents tell. Today she is in Berkeley, California, where she is pursuing her PhD in performance studies.
The colorful illustrations in the book were created by Emile Henriquez, a native New Orleanian who was born in the French Quarter. An art teacher, he also illustrated The Oklahoma Land Run, Toby Belfer Learns about Heroes and Martyrs, The Battle of New Orleans: The Drummer’s Story, D.J. and the Debutante Ball,D.J. and the Jazz Fest, and D.J. and the Zulu Parade.
Thank you, Lashon, for sharing your lovely book on Confetti Park! It is for sale on Amazon.
In this episode of Confetti Park, I am delighted to share the story of the Ten Little Crawfish, marvelously narrated by the author and illustrator, Melinda Taliancich Falgoust.
Ten little crawfish, swimmin’ in da swamp. One thought he heard some Zydeco and stopped to dance and stomp….
This is Melinda’s brand-new counting concept board book that someday will be on the shelf of every Louisiana kid. Join the ten little crawfish as they count down through the Crescent City and some of its best-known landmarks.
We are so lucky to have Melinda read it to us!
The New Orleans-based author and illustrator is currently taking pre-orders for this adorable and entertaining book through IndieGoGo. Be among the first to get it. (I think it’s going to be a classic!)
With its ten, tasty crustaceans, the savory silliness appeals to a young reader’s developing sense of humor and helps them create a positive association with books.
The patterned text also makes it easy for preschoolers to jump in and participate.
The sights and sounds of New Orleans encourage young children’s fascinations about the world around them and lets them know the things they love can be found in books!
Regular listeners of Confetti Park know that Melinda is one of our wonderful regular contributors. She is incredibly prolific (she works very hard, kids!) and has a wide-range of books for both children and adults. Visit her website.
Listen to an interview with Melinda Taliancich Falgoust on Confetti Park
Her Royal Majesty, the Superhero Bride of Frankenstein
It’s storytime from Confetti Park!
In this episode we hear the inimitable Melinda Taliancich Falgoust narrate Her Royal Majesty, the Superhero Bride of Frankenstein.
This is SUCH a fun story about little Lizzie McGillicuddy, a girl who adapts quickly to recover from an embarrassing situation at her school. Talk about making the best of things!
A piece of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of Lizzie McGillicuddy’s shoe could prove to be the biggest disaster in the entire history of the freckle-faced third-grader’s career until the errant strand of tissue becomes a fantastical queen’s train, then a magical superhero’s cape, and finally a spooky bride’s veil, proving that a little positive thinking can change your whole outlook on life…and save the class costume contest!
Her Royal Majesty, the Superhero Bride of Frankenstein earned a 5-star review with Reader’s Favorite. We are so delighted that Melinda has shared it with our Confetti Park listeners!
And just wait til you hear her wonderful narration.
You can check out this interview with Melinda to learn more about this accomplished author, actress, photographer and educator.
Also, listen to Melinda narrate her other wonderful books (all so different and original):
In this episode, we hear the sweet and clever tale of Little Laveau, narrated by the author, Erin Rovin.
Little Laveau is an enchanting little bedtime story set in the Louisiana bayou. Laveau is a lovable character who draws on her deep family roots and the magical environment for inspiration as she helps friends and animals.
In this adventure, Little Laveau’s friend Thomas is having bad dreams, and he doesn’t know what to do. Luckily, Little Laveau has just the cure!
“When you have a bad dream gather up all those bad thoughts and put them in a jar. Take that jar and sprinkle those dreams right down the drain. They flow through the rivers and out into the sea, the salt water washes them clean and takes out all the scary! Then they get swept up onto the beach as grains of sand where the sun warms the bad right out of them all day long. That’s what the beautiful beach is made of, bad dreams turned good and beautiful by the ocean and the sun.”
Little Laveau is such a great character, and the idea for how she shares family recipes with her friends and readers is adorable. We cannot wait to see what new adventures are in store for Little Laveau!
Thank you so much Erin for sharing your story on Confetti Park.
In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear an old folk tale told with Louisiana flair. This is the old-time tale of a little pine tree who cannot be satisfied with what she has. This pine tree wishes for new leaves, because she wants to be different from all the other pine trees.
Somehow she gets her wish one night, and wakes up covered in different kinds of leaves. Then the little pine tree finds that she has different kinds of problems.
If only this pine tree could realize how beautiful she is… We know that her green needles are so fragrant in the spring and summer. We appreciate the soft, quiet carpet created on the forest floor when she drops her needles. And we love the soothing song she sings when the wind blows through her needled treetop, high above us.
If only we all could see our beauty, as others see it in us, and be happy with who we are.
Thank you to Magpie Baccinelli for narrating this Louisiana folk tale for Confetti Park!
“It’s a pleasure to introduce a character that is sure to become your new favorite mouse, Santi!…David Eugene Ray’s tale of Santi is a clever story written with elegantly simple and carefully selected text that exudes fresh originality. The characteristics of cats that Ray chooses to highlight are spot on and fun—when Santi practices being a cat he practices ignoring everyone and pretends to be bored. The manga style artwork in its pastel color glory [by the talented Santiago Germano] is both emotive and excellent. And the book itself is a joy to handle with its thick glossy sheets that make it a pleasure to turn the pages.
Great for lap readers, independent readers, and cat lovers of all ages, The Little Mouse Santi is an inspiring tale that teaches us that, with a little courage, we can all be whoever we want to be. It’s definitely the cat’s meow!”
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.
Hey Saints fans! Football season is here! And we have a very special book to celebrate.
In this episode of Confetti Park, Alexander Brian McConduit narrates his original story, The Little WHO DAT Who Didn’t, which is all about one little boy’s love/hate relationship with his favorite team.
The book takes you through the Saints’ amazing Superbowl season and tries to put into words what THAT season was like through the eyes of Buddy.
All of the characters are named after Saints players & figures, pre & post. Follow Buddy, his family, friends & the city of New Orleans as we relive one of the most memorable times the citizens of New Orleans have ever seen.
The story is scored with accompaniment by the Confetti Park Players, a kids chorus based in Algiers.
Thank you Alex for reading The Little WHO DAT Who Didn’t for Confetti Park! What an emotional rollercoaster that season was—and so is this book!
You guys! THANK YOU! One week in, and I am already over $1000 and over 30% of the way toward my goal! I am so very appreciative of your support. The book will soon be in your hands, and I hope that it makes people happy and feel warm and fuzzy… it’s just perfect for the holiday season.
David Eugene Ray will be selling and signing copies of his award-winning book, The Little Mouse Santi, at the 
In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear an old folk tale told with Louisiana flair. This is the old-time tale of a little pine tree who cannot be satisfied with what she has. This pine tree wishes for new leaves, because she wants to be different from all the other pine trees.
