Tag: stories

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.
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
A childhood music memory from Ms. Chocolate about spirituals

Ms. Chocolate, also known as Gwen Williams, is a storyteller and a singer who grew up in Louisiana. Many of her favorite stories and songs she shares with children today are the true memories and gathered songs from her own childhood in rural parts of central Louisiana. Church, family, school, and life in the country are recurrent themes.

In this episode Ms. Chocolate shares about the music she sang as a little girl:

“The music I remember as a child were called spirituals. Now you don’t have too much of that today… I do a monologue of Harriet Tubman and spirituals of the Underground Railroad. So I teach children how slaves used music to communicate…….. ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot,’ ‘He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands,’ ‘This Little Light of Mine’—these are spirituals. These are simple songs that have a really big meaning,” says Ms. Chocolate.

Ms. Chocolate lives in Picayune, Mississippi today. She left New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She tells stories all around the Gulf area. http://chocolatestoryteller.blogspot.com/
Storytime: The Girl Who Danced with the Devil

In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear an old folk tale called, “The Girl Who Danced with the Devil.” It is narrated for you by Catherine Golden, an early childhood teacher living in New Orleans.

This tale originates in French Acadia culture (you can find it in the delightful Danny Kaye’s Around the World Story Book) and has been adapted for a Louisiana locality.

In the story, a young girl who loves to dance more than anything is heading off to the Mardi Gras Ball with her fiancé. She is warned by her mother not to dance past midnight, otherwise, something bad will happen. When midnight strikes, the breathless partiers are having so much fun in their whirlwind of dance that they don’t mind the chimes of the clock…. the door opens and a mysterious, handsome stranger enters the room.

Enjoy this mysterious and frightening tale of”The Girl Who Danced with the Devil.”
Storytime: Dixie the Old Dawg by Tommie Townsley

South Louisiana children’s author Tommie Townsley narrates the story of Dixie the Old Dawg for Confetti Park!

Dixie The Ole Dawg is a true classic country “Cajun Tale” set in Southwest Louisiana. This inspiring tale is about a dog who was abandoned by her family during a hurricane. After the storm, she finds her way to Ms. Theriot’s house. It is there that the two of them build a trustworthy relationship. Dixie finds out what it feels like to be left alone with no one to care for her. However, she also realizes that sometimes you do have to go through a storm in order to find happiness! Both children and adults will enjoy this true story. It is full of love, friendship, trust, and affection. It you love dogs, you will love Dixie! Always remember, “Dogs are a man’s best friend!”

You can order the book from Amazon or from Tommie’s own publishing house, Ally-Gator BookBites.

Tommie, who lives in Lake Charles, is a great friend to Confetti Park and a leader in the children’s art and culture scene in Louisiana. She has inspired kids around the state with her charming Cajun animal tales. Learn more about Tommie in this interview with Confetti Park.
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.
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.