Tag: kids

Storytime: Juju Meets the Rougaroo by Michelle Hirstius

Juju Meets the Rougaroo: A Halloween Anti-Bullying Book by Michelle Hirstius

Halloween calls for some spooky tales, and we have some wonderful spooky tales to share in Louisiana! Here is one of our newest little Louisiana characters—it’s Juju, who makes GOOD voodoo!

What is a rougaroo? It’s like a werewolf. It’s a hairy half-human/half-wolf monster that lives in the swamps of South Louisiana. The Cajun people tell tales of the rougaroo (or rougarou, roux-ga-roux, rugaroo, rugaru or loup garou) prowling the Louisiana swamps and forests, stalking livestock, pets, and humans. It changes into wolf form with the phases of the moon—in worst case, the phase lasts 101 days. Some say you turn into a rougaroo by breaking church habits, and others say witches turn you into a rougaroo, and others say that the bite of a monster causes the change. It’s definitely a scary legend meant to keep little children close to home!

Well… this sweet little book isn’t as scary as those legends. In Juju Meets the Rougaroo, Juju and her friends are trick-or-treating when they encounter the rougaroo, and he tries to steal their candy. He is a bully! Only Juju stands up to him, and decides to use her good voodoo to show the creature his past, present, and future so that he can see how his meanness affects other people—and himself.

Juju is an adorable character created by New Orleans author and illustrator Michelle Hirstius. Juju Meets the Rougaroo is the seventh in a series and we are so glad that more are coming! Thanks for sharing your stories with Confetti Park, Michelle!

Check out all the adventures of Juju at http://www.michellehirstius.com/
Music Medley: Who’s at the Door?
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:

We’re Going to Confetti Park! – Confetti Park Players
Best Friends – Zachary Richard
Moving Along – Johnette Downing
Be My Honey Bee – Schazty
Baby Bumblebee – Judy Caplan Ginsburgh
When You’re Smiling – Jeremy Lyons
Curious George Main Theme Song – Dr. John
Row Row Row Your Boat – Dr. John (Mac Rebennack with The Ends)
Monsters – Jazzy Ash

Also featured in this episode, a music memory from Dr. Sick and the storytime feature F Words – Fantastic by Ms. Chocolate, and poems from Louisiana kids!

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

The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, OffBeat magazine and Music Rising at Tulane University.

Current broadcast schedule:
- WHIV 102.3 FM in New Orleans every Saturday at 12 p.m. NOON
- KSLU 90.9 FM in Hammond every Sunday at 12 p.m. NOON
- WHYR 96.9 FM in Baton Rouge every Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.
Introducing Rosemary the Garden Fairy’s gardening segments for kids!

“Follow me to the garden! Let’s check out the magic of nature!”

Introducing Rosemary the Garden Fairy, a new contributor to Confetti Park! We found her flitting about our beautiful corner, and realized she had much wisdom to impart about the natural world.

In this segment, Rosemary teaches us about air plants.

Have you ever heard of an air plant? It can grow without any soil!

The scientific name for air plants is “Tillandsia.” Lucky kids in Louisiana have seen one species of this plant called Spanish Moss, growing in our beautiful oak trees and throughout our swamps and bayous.

There are over 650 species of air plants, and some of them bloom pretty little flowers. You can try growing an air plant in your house…. You can even pin it to a curtain and it will grow!
Interview with Kid Chef Eliana about her foodie inspirations & aspirations

In this episode of Confetti Park, Katy Hobgood Ray interviews Kid Chef Eliana de Las Casas, a New Orleans-based chef who is seriously one of the hardest-working kids around.

Eliana has been cooking since she was four years old! Her interested hasn’t waned over the years from those early days of watching her family elders make food in the kitchen. Now at 16 years old, Eliana has bloomed as a chef, as an entrepreneur, as a cookbook author and as a culinary personality.

Eliana was born in Gretna and has a whole lot of cultural influences driving her style. She describes herself as a gumbo of Filipino, Cajun, Honduran, and Cuban.

“My whole family taught me how to cook, everyone. We always loved being in the kitchen together and having huge family gatherings,” says Eliana. “There would just be all kinds of different dishes at the table. I never wanted to leave the kitchen! I was never the kid to ask for toys. I always wanted something kitchen-related.”

Eliana’s mom is notable Louisiana children’s author Dianne de las Casas, and she encouraged Eliana to start a food blog when Eliana was touring with her at book signings around Louisiana. From there, Eliana’s abilities as a media mogul, too, grew! Soon Eliana was doing cooking tutorials for kids on YouTube, and before long she declared her intention to publish a cookbook. She was only ten years old when her first cookbook came out—today Eliana has three: Cool Kids Cook: Fresh & Fit, Cool Kids Cook: Louisiana, and Eliana Cooks: Recipes for Creative Kids.

In this interview, Katy and Eliana dive deep into Eliana’s early inspirations and her current aspirations, which include launching her own line of spices. They also talk about some of Eliana’s adult mentors, such as New Orleans-based chefs Tory McPhail (Commander’s Palace), Chef Adolfo Garcia (Primitivo, RioMar) and Chef Ryan Hughes (Purloo).

Eliana is currently a full-time student at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. She takes traditional academic classes in the morning, and in the afternoon, she studies in a culinary arts program funded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. She is also a radio host! Every Friday at 6pm CT, listen to Kid Chef Eliana’s weekly radio show, Let’s Get Cookin’, on 102.3 FM WHIV.

Learn more at http://www.kidchefeliana.com

Eliana is competing on Chopped Teen Tournament on Food Network in September. The tournament has 16 teens battling for a cash prize of $25,000. Let’s all support this teen chef representing the city of New Orleans!
Interview with Lashon Daley, author of the Mr. Okra story book!

This is a special Confetti Park interview with Lashon Daley, the lovely author behind Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.

Today Lashon is pursuing a PHD in Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. But for a while, she lived in New Orleans, and was inspired to write her sweet book about our favorite produce vendor.

In this interview Lashon talks about the first time she ever saw Mr. Okra, and how she went about creating a children’s book featuring his life’s calling.

Says Lashon: “It was an early Sunday morning, and I remember hearing the truck coming down my street and I thought, is that an ice cream man? And he was calling out these fruits and vegetables, saying there were strawberries and mangoes and bananas, and I thought to myself What kind of ice cream truck man is this?… I found out how well loved he is by the city.”

Lashon Daley and Mr. Okra

Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables was published by Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. It is available in bookstores in New Orleans, Berkeley, and on Amazon.

Here’s what Mr. Okra has to say about the book (from the back cover): “I love selling fruits and veggies to the people of New Orleans because there are people who can’t get to the big stores and people who don’t really like to go to the big stores. . . . They depend on me and I depend on them. We are all family; even if they don’t buy nothing, they still come out and we talk. The fact that this young lady has put me in her children’s book means a whole lot to me. I’m very thankful.”

Listen to Lashon narrating Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Storytime – Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits & Vegetables by Lashon Daley

Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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.

And here is Mr. Okra himself performing with the Confetti Park Players.
John Doheny recalls jamming cartoon theme songs as a kid

Saxophonist John Doheny at a Confetti Park recording session with Chuck Bee (L) and Roger Lewis (R).

In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a childhood music memory from New Orleans-based saxophonist John Doheny.

John has a long career as a professional jazz musician, band leader, writer, and educator. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he first started playing clarinet as a child and was part of youth orchestras from an early age.

John switched to saxophone as a teenager, and says he developed his chops playing six nights a week as a college student in Vancouver. He spent his twenties and thirties playing and recording with a slate of well-known pop and rhythm and blues artists such as the Coasters, the Platters, Bobby Curtola, Buddy Knox, the Temptations, Solomon Burke, Michael Buble, and Doug and the Slugs.

In 2003, John moved to New Orleans and enrolled in the graduate school at Tulane University. In addition to earning an MA in Musicology (with a concentration in Early New Orleans Jazz), he served as Professor of Practice in the music department and directed the student jazz band. He also served as band leader of the Professors of Pleasure, and has released several straight-ahead jazz recordings. (We are honored that John appears on a track with the Confetti Park Players—The Clapping Song.)

In this memory, John recalls how his mother made him practice every day, and how it led to a favorite jam.

“My mother said you have to practice for 30 minutes after school or no cartoons. And so I would be sitting there playing with the Klose book, and then the cartoons would come on, and then because I already had the horn in my hand, I taught myself how to play the Bugs Bunny theme song. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was teaching myself how to play what I hear, which is kind of what you want to do.”
Bumblebee, the animated music video!

The Confetti Park Players are a children’s chorus based here in New Orleans. One of our favorite things to do is to collaborate with other musicians who live in this amazing, creative city! We are SO lucky to be surrounded by and nurtured by so much talent.

Our most recent collaboration was with local folk-pop duo Ginger & the Bee (aka Sherri Montz and Scott Frilot). This duo perform around New Orleans and have other musical projects, including the beloved Vinyl Girls, Slack Adjustor, Skin & Bones, and the Tomatoes.

Ginger & the Bee wrote a song specially for the Confetti Park Players—it’s called “Bumblebee.”

Bumblebee, bumblebee, where is your honey? I want some honey for my honey!

Bumblebee, bumblebee, where is your honey? I want some honey for me.

Choir director Katy Ray taught the song to the kids over a few weeks, and one special Wednesday night, Ginger & the Bee came to our practice at Algiers United Methodist Church to record with the kids.

Scott sets up the recording gear for the session.

Lily and Nola do a sound check with Scott. We think he and Sherri enjoyed this as much as the kids!

The Confetti Park Players sing “Bumblebee” with much gusto!

After the recording was over, the kids went outside to play on the grass with Sherri to shoot some playful scenes with scarves.

Scarf attack!

Move back, kids!

Sherri emerges.

A few weeks later, the Confetti Park Players went to the Mini Art Center, a child-centric community arts center located in our very own Algiers Point, to do stop motion animation for the music video. We had such a great time creating this from drawings and recording footage. Molly and Prescott, who run the Mini Art Center, are great teachers.

Prescott gathers the kids around the stop motion center.

The kids draw characters and backgrounds for the music video.

What a fun process! We moved the characters inch by inch for the stop motion animation.

And, voila! Enjoy the final product!

Confetti Park Players perform Ginger & the Bee from Mini Art Center on Vimeo.
Paul Butler of WFDU’s Kids Crossroads interviews Katy Hobgood Ray

Paul Butler interviews Katy Hobgood Ray on WFDU’s Kids Crossroads

Katy Hobgood Ray spent a lovely hour with Paul Butler of WFDU’s Kids Crossroads and the Imagination Parade (based in the NY/NJ area) talking about the Confetti Park Players, the Confetti Park radio show, and the real park and Louisiana culture which are her inspiration.

Katy loves hosting a radio show for kids down here in Louisiana, which she’s been doing for a year. Paul, meanwhile, has been hosting his shows since 1985!!!!

There is lots of good children’s music to hear in this fun segment, which is archived online. Paul chooses songs from the Confetti Park Players’ CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park!, and pairs them with topical songs by other children’s musicians throughout the United State (and from generations of songwriters). There are songs about watermelons, dancing, peanuts, snoballs, and much more.

LINK TO ARCHIVE (July 18, 2016)
Kids radio show “Confetti Park” debuts on WHYR 96.9 FM on Sunday, July 17

Kids variety show and podcast out of New Orleans features locally spun children’s music and stories showcasing the diverse cultures and sounds of Louisiana.

On Sunday, July 17 at 11:30 a.m., a children’s radio show called “Confetti Park” will hit the airwaves of Baton Rouge on WHYR 96.9 FM.

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

“Here in Louisiana, music permeates the fabric of our daily lives and kids integrate naturally with our live music scene,” says Ray. “I hope, through Confetti Park, to showcase the diversity and kid-friendliness of our culture, 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.”

Katy Hobgood Ray is the host and producer of Confetti Park

An announcement on the WHYR website says: “….We could all use some inspiration, imagination, and fun. Luckily, WHYR-LP welcomes Confetti Park, a half-hour of music, stories, poetry, and more starting Sunday, July 17th. Hear Confetti Park on Baton Rouge Community Radio every Sunday at 11:30am, hosted by Katy Ray of New Orleans, for uniquely Louisianian magic that reminds us how wonderful our state can be.”

Ray, who works in communications at Tulane University in New Orleans, 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; they won a Parents’ Choice Approved Award for their first album.

With support from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University, Katy traverses the state to unearth music and folktales, local legends and spooky stories, colorful family memories and forgotten histories. For the weekly segment Confetti Park Storytime, she features published children’s authors as well as interviews and encounters with everyday people on the street. Children’s voices are often used to share poems, contemporary jump rope jingles, hand-clapping games and other playground chants.

“Confetti Park” debuted in New Orleans on WHIV in April 2015. It currently airs in Hammond on KSLU and is available to all Louisiana community radio stations.

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
Storytime: Her Royal Majesty, the Superhero Bride of Frankenstein by Melinda Taliancich Falgoust

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!

BUY IT ON AMAZON

Melinda Taliancich Falgoust

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):

Listen to Melinda narrate Lousy Liver

Listen to Melinda narrate Footprints
WDSU: Algiers park makes difference in the community

The original Confetti Park, the real park located at the corner of Verret and Pelican streets in the Algiers neighborhood, was recently featured by WDSU news anchor Charles Divins in a special community essay.

The piece highlights the work of local 501(c)3 Confetti Kids, Inc. and how they bring neighbors together through parks, recreation, and child-centered programming. Confetti Kids currently maintains two parks in the Old Algiers neighborhood—Confetti Park and Delcazal Park.

Plans are underway for a third park in a part of the neighborhood that is a park desert. Confetti Kids is fundraising now and will be working with local residents and community leaders including Baakir Tyehimba, owner of Blackstar Books & Caffe, to plan the kind of park it will be. Baakir has long been advocating for recreational spaces for children and is the inspiration for the film The Lot, directed by Russell Blanchard.