Tag: narration

Storytime: Can We Take A Road Trip? By Papa Dude

Summertime means road trips! In this episode of Confetti Park, we take a road trip with Papa Dude and his best friend Charlie Crab. They take us on a trip across America, and we to get visit some of the most interesting and fun places the continental United States has to offer.
Who is Papa Dude? His real name is Steven Scaffidi, and he is a New Orleans creator who has a whole line of Papa Dude adventures, a character he based on his own father.
Says Papa Dude: “Ya know…I just love good food, good times, and a good story too. Some folks say that I know a little bit about a lot of things. Ha! Well maybe so but I can’t wait to share all that I’ve learned over the years with you!”
Through Papa Dude’s and Charlie Crab’s eyes, we see some amazing American attractions—those manmade, like the Hoover Dam and Mount Rushmore, and natural attractions, like Yosemite and Carlsbad Caverns. As we travel through bayous, beaches, deserts, mountains, and crisscross the great highways with Papa Dude and his sidekick, we think about just how vast and majestic is this country of America. What a great summer book!
You can learn more about the Papa Dude series at Steven’s website, https://www.heypapadude.com/
And learn more about Steven and his other creative projects at https://www.ghostriderpictures.com/
Storytime: Padapillo by Valerie James Abbott

In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear the children’s book Padapillo narrated by the author, Valerie James Abbott. Based on the true life events of the author and her family, Padapillo is the story of a family discovering the hearing loss of a child.
Told through the eyes of her sister, this is the story of Little Bridget. She’s acting strangely and no one seems to notice–except her big sister. When the rest of her family finally realizes that Bridget has been ignoring the world around her and inventing weird words, it leads to the startling diagnosis that no one saw coming.
In addition to being an inspirational story of transformation and hope, Padapillo also includes an index of national agencies, organizations, and resources that are dedicated to helping families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing find the support and information they may need to move forward.
Congratulations to author Valerie James Abbott on your beautiful and important debut book, and thank you for sharing your family’s story with Confetti Park!
Author Valerie James Abbott, author of Padapillo
Learn more about Papadillo and the author at https://www.valeriejamesabbott.com/
You can buy the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.
Storytime: Le Lutin

In this episode of Confetti Park Storytime, we hear about Le Lutin, a fairytale figure and a trickster spirit! Contributor Kathleen Welch shares some of the legends about this hobgoblin who has a knack for pranking.
Le lutin could change his appearance whenever he wanted. So you never know when you are seeing a lutin. But legends say his natural form was a little man with a long beard. He was especially fond of children and horses.
According to the Houma, Louisiana newspaper, “If you’ve ever lost your car keys or misplaced one of your socks, you just may have been pranked by a lutin.”

Some stories are darker. This tale of Le Lutin, from an 1870 text from France called The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Knightly, says:
The other legend named Le Lutin tells how seven little boys, regardless of the warnings of their old grandmother, would go out at night on various affairs. As they went along a pretty little black horse came up to them, and they all were induced to mount on his back. When they met any of their playmates they invited them also to mount, and the back of the little horse, stretched so that at last he had on him not less than thirty little boys. He then made with all speed for the sea, and plunging into it with them they were all drowned.
So, how to get rid of a lutin if one of these little hobgoblins is plaguing you? According to Knightly:
“The best way, it is said, to banish a Lutin who haunts a house, is to scatter flax-seed in the room that he most frequents. His love of neatness and regularity will not allow him to let it lie there, and he soon gets tired of picking it up, and so be goes away.“
Thanks to Kathleen Welch for sharing this bit of French folklore. She gives credit to The Red Housewife Blogspot.
Storytime: Samuel Morse, That’s Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer

In this episode of Confetti Park Storytime, you’ll hear the fascinating and fun story of the inventor Samuel Morse, who used electricity to power the telegraph and who invented Morse Code. Way back in the 1800s, he was teaching the world how to do instant messaging!
Tracy Nelson Maurer is the author of this fun biography geared toward kids, and we are so happy that Tracy has narrated the story for our enjoyment.
Back in the 1800s, information traveled slowly. Who would dream of instant messages?
Samuel Morse, that’s who!
Who traveled to France, where the famous telegraph towers relayed 10,000 possible codes for messages depending on the signal arm positions—only if the weather was clear? Who imagined a system that would use electric pulses to instantly carry coded messages between two machines, rain or shine? Long before the first telephone, who changed communication forever?
Samuel Morse, that’s who!
Tracy Nelson Maurer will be one of the featured authors at the upcoming New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University being held March 19-21. Learn more about this event at https://bookfest.tulane.edu/.
Tracy Nelson Maurer
Tracy has written several fun biographies of important change makers, such as John Deere and Noah Webster, and lots of nonfiction books about a wide range of topics such as history, STEM, social skills—even cheerleading and automobiles! Learn more
Thank you, Tracy, for sharing the story of Samuel Morse with Confetti Park!
Storytime: Panorama by Gypsy Damaris Boston

This is a road trip from North Louisiana to South Louisiana, represented in an essay called “Panorama” by Gypsy Damaris Boston, and narrated by her granddaughter, Katy Hobgood Ray. The essay is from her collection of published nature observations, Dear Louisiana, Love Gypsy.

Gypsy’s mantra has always been, “Stop, look and listen…. Nature is at work for you.” Some excerpts from this essay:

From the pine-covered red clay hills of north Louisiana, to the moss-draped live oaks of the black and coffee grounds-land of south Louisiana, I watched Nature’s pageant of beauty and look at our state with pride and delight.

….

The rains that caused so much trouble made everything lush and green. The water hyacinths are beautiful!

….

Young boys tell of filling sandbags to protect the levee. When the water would wash the sand out of the bags, bags of shells were used to slow the water and the sand bags were placed behind them. An additional problem developed when the continuing winds pushed the tides inland on the bayous and would not permit rainwater to drain anywhere.

….

I look at a small pirogue hewn out of a cypress log. I am surprised to see it painted…It is shallow, slightly pointed at the end, and the smooth walls look no thicker than a bread board. There is a trick to paddling a pirogue.

——

I eat seafood gumbo cooked as the French do and served with French bread. The loaf weighs only eight ounces but it is over 30 inches long.

The Confetti Park radio show and podcast is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.
Storytime – Fair Weather Friend: A Story of Hurricane Katrina by Marcus Page

Summertime in New Orleans brings a hyper awareness of storm season. In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear Fair Weather Friend: A Story of Hurricane Katrina, narrated by the author Marcus Page.

Marcus is a poet and a New Orleans native. He was inspired to write a story of the power of friendship after the experience of Hurricane Katrina. Two children, who are the best of friends, are separated from each other during the hurricane evacuation. While their families face different challenges, both of these young children bear the pressure of the situation and the forced evacuation of their home.

It was August, the summer of 2005.
The kids were getting ready to go back to school.
After a long summer of playing and vacationing,
Payton and Maria were looking forward to getting back to school.

Payton and Maria were walking to the corner store.
When they arrived to the store the store clerk was watching
the news on a TV behind the counter.

There was a special bulletin urging all residents to evacuate soon,
because a huge storm was coming.
The news man called the storm Katrina.

Katrina was said to possibly be the biggest storm New Orleans had ever seen.

Fair Weather Friend: A Story of Hurricane Katrina is available on Amazon. Listen to Marcus narrate the story. And learn more about Marcus and his poetry and performance art at http://www.rawartists.org/marcuspage.
Storytime: Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’ by Cindy Foust

In this episode of Confetti Park Storytime, we hear Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’. This book is narrated by the author, Cindy Foust, creator of the Alpha-kidZ book series. Each letter of the alphabet gets a feature story and a feature creature who has an adventure and learns a lesson.

Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’ is the “L” book in the series, of course! And little Louis has a problem that many children share…. fear of the dark and being alone in bed at night.

“Bedtime for Louis became a battle.
He would cry with all his might.
Before his parents knew what had happened,
their little Louis was sleeping with them every night.”

But what happens as Louis grows bigger? The “big bed” becomes too small!

One night, it was too much for Louis to take. Dad pulled the covers off Louis…. then his mom’s arm accidentally bonks his nose…. And mom and dad both snored too loudly for Louis to get his needed rest.

“Louis covered his head with his pillow… he just wanted some sleep!”

Guess where Louis found sweet dreams at last? In his very own bed, despite the dark!

Cindy Foust lives in West Monroe, Louisiana. She launched the Alpha-kidZ: Reading Adventures A-Z book series in 2003.

Patti Pig, Austin Alligator, Elephant Emmy Lou, and Freddy Fox… these are some of the characters who face a challenge and find a solution. All of Cindy’s books offer lessons in character development and conflict resolution, told in engaging rhyme. And the books are brightly and colorfully illustrated (by different artists). Cindy says that personal experiences and inspiration from family and friends provided the basis for each of the stories.

Look for all the books at http://www.alphakidz.com, and look for an interview with author Cindy Faust in a future episode of Confetti Park!

Listen to Cindy read Patti Pig, Please Clean Your Digs.
Storytime: Coming Up Cajun by Carrie Delatte

It’s Confetti Park Storytime! In this episode, author Carrie Delatte narrates her children’s book Coming Up Cajun, which is based on the true tales of two little boys growing up in the heart of Cajun Country.

Full of nature, this sweet tale told in rhyming verse captures some of the wholesome outdoor activities, daily chores, and good times of Carrie’s own children.

“From the green of the land, to the blue of the bayous, they made the best of their time in the splendour of a Southern youth,” says Carrie.

The story is educational for how it captures all the activities that are part of daily life for kids growing up in the country, such as gathering eggs, trapping, fishing, hunting, loading bales of hay, tending livestock, paddling in their pirogues…. In addition, Coming Up Cajun is chock full of Cajun French vocabulary, and Carrie includes a handy glossary for readers’ benefit.

Born and raised in quaint Gheens, Louisiana, Carrie Delatte is the proud mother of four young children. She was brought up on a small farm off of Central Bayou Lafourche, and she enjoys southern living and the beauty of nature.

Carrie was diagnosed at the age of seven with the neurological disorder known as Tourette’s Syndrome. Carrie has vowed to donate 10% of proceeds from each title she releases to the Tourette’s Association of America (formerly called the National Tourette’s Syndrome Association) to further assist in the search for a cure, research and educational purposes. Her one outlet from the daily life of a “ticcer” is her writing.

Thank you so much, Carrie, for sharing your stories with Confetti Park!
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.
Storytime: The Adventures of the Swamp Kids – The Missing Chord by Leif Pedersen

Leif Pedersen, creator of the Swamp Kids series

It’s Confetti Park Storytime! In this episode, we hear Louisiana-born big band leader and children’s author Leif Pedersen narrate The Missing Chord, the very first book of the Swamp Kids series.

The Swamp Kids are friends and bandmates who live in Bayou Bleu near Mamou, Louisiana. Led by Pierre a le Gator on fiddle, the musical swamp kids include Mon Cher the pretty raccoon and TuTu the Turtle on washboard. There’s also a fish who keeps time by splashing his tail in the water.

But they just can’t get their sounds quite right! What’s missing? Will they find it before the big Battle of the Bands contest?

Sachet the Crawfish longs to join in the merry music making, but he wants to bring just the right sound to the group. Maybe he has just what the Swamp Kids need!

Swamp Kids’ creator Leif Pedersen is a fabulous musician in his own right. Leif has been a lead singer for many famous internationally touring Big Bands orchestras, such as Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Al Beletto’s Big Jazz Band, Pete Fountain, and Woody Herman’s Band. Today, the New Orleans native leads his own band.

The Swamp Kids is a growing enterprise, with four books in the series and more coming. All of the books contain “Lagniappe Lessons” by Louisiana celebrities—famous Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw is the guest star in The Lost Chord!
Visit www.theswampkids.com for puzzles, plush toys, activity sheets of teachers, and more!

This podcast features a bit of “Se Pas La Pan” performed by the Hackberry Ramblers.
Storytime: Lophi Learns to Fly

It’s storytime from Confetti Park! In this episode we hear a tale of dinosaur friendship by award-winning children’s author David Eugene Ray out of New Orleans. This is Lophi Learns to Fly.

Lophi is a small dinosaur who feels invisible in his herd. He lives a fairly contented life, but he’s lonely. He spends most of his afternoons watching the pterodactyls flying in the sky. One day, he meets Weena, and they discover that they both share this fascination with the winged creatures and wish, themselves, to fly. Weena has her own reasons for wanting to leave the herd behind.

The two decide to collaborate to build wings, and they set off on a construction adventure. Each day spent in the forest collecting the right materials brings them closer to launch, and closer together. Even though the two dinosaurs couldn’t be more different, their friendship blossoms as they work through the challenges of learning to fly.

David Eugene Ray works with animals everyday at the Audubon Nature Institute. (Follow him on Twitter at @aquarium_dave.) He is the author of The Little Mouse Santi, which was named a Best Book of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews.