For babies & Toddlers

Throw me out there, mister!

When Carnival rolls around in New Orleans, everyone gets into the celebration—including the beads! On Fat Tuesday, a plain string of little purple beads hangs from a hook on a parade float. His fervent wish is to be caught by someone special. The bigger and fancier beads tell him that no one will ever catch him. But a little hope and determination may go a long way in the magical season of Mardi Gras! When the bead spots a little princess in the crowd, he knows she is the person for him! Will she try to catch him? The heartwarming tale offers opportunities for a discussion of bullying, self-worth, and inclusion with young readers. The delightful story and illustrations from this daughter/father team will charm the entire family and become a parade route favorite!

Raised in New Orleans, Julie P. Rowley holds a master’s of education in early childhood curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. Her stories were inspired by her daughter’s imagination.

A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, John R. Paquette is a retired editor. He is also a professional vocalist and a talented portrait artist and illustrator. He enjoyed collaborating with his daughter.

Gold/Honors Award Winner
National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Children’s Products
The Big Read 2010
Recommended Reading List for the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools

Based on a popular song adapted by the multi-award-winning New Orleans singer-songwriter Johnette Downing, Today Is Monday in Louisiana rhythmically takes readers through a culinary calendar, describing a Louisiana meal a day. Now adapted to board book format for tiny hands, each page presents collaged images of yummy foods. On Monday there are red beans to eat and on Tuesday, po’ boys. On Wednesday gumbo is served, and on it goes, each day bringing another unique and tasty Louisiana dish to share.

Learn colors and numbers with a Lone Star twist!

From one black horse to ten purple pinwheels, this lively board book takes children on a colorful journey through Texas! Everything from four espátulas (“spoonbills”) to five botas (“boots”) to six garza (“egrets”) come to life in vivid photographs of Lone Star backyards and open fields. This bilingual picture book will spark the imagination and creativity in every child—Texan or not! Children will enjoy the educational nature of this book, counting from place to place and picking up a few Spanish words along the way! An enjoyable and relatable counting adventure, the beautiful photographs make learning colors and numbers in two languages as easy as uno, dos, très!

This baby memory book allows families to record all the milestones of a uniquely Florida childhood! The lively illustrated pages provide spaces for photos and notes for baby's first twelve months in this one-of-a-kind state, with pages for the first and second birthday too. Parents then can set down the dates and details for baby's first orange juice, baseball game, theme park, and much more!

Martha Day Zschock, best-selling author and illustrator of the Hello! series of regionally-focused board books, has just completed a brand new board book, Read To Me! Created to encourage a love of reading in the very youngest children, Read To Me! is, with its rhymes and colorful illustrations, a wonderful book to read aloud, for the reader and the listener. The shared experience is sure to create an appreciation of books, and encourages children and their family and friends to read together. For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Contains ten of Vincent van Gogh's most familiar images, including The Starry Night, Bedroom at Arles, and Vase with Fourteen Sunflowers.

From alligators to winding country lanes and fried zucchini, this picture book is an alphabetized list of Southern delights. Breezy rhymes recall an appreciation for good food, laid-back evenings, and the gentle dispositions the region is known for.

A wacky safari that is sure to strike a chord with kids! For each letter of the alphabet, this clever book of rhymes presents a cross between an animal and a musical instrument. From newtubas and mandolions to drumonkeys and pigolos, kids will have a blast during this musical safari. Zany illustrations accompany each creation.

Creole cooking with Grandma!

Bell peppers, shrimp, oysters, onions, and okra—Grandma stirs up these and other traditional fresh ingredients to create this special Southern dish. Add generous portions of rice and hot sauce with a handful of filé seasoning, and you’ve got a classic Creole gumbo! Now available as a board book, this delightful rhyming story features colorful collage-style illustrations surrounded by the charming and infectious poetic rhythm. Early readers and pre-readers alike will be enchanted as Grandma adds more and more items to her big black pot. Every ingredient plays an important part in the formation of this delicious dish, making it the tastiest treat in Louisiana. Bon appétit!

A popular career choice for most five year olds, firefighting conjures images of pump trucks, sirens, and ladders. This informative and fun ABC journey gives a bit of firefighting history with B is for bucket brigade and moves into the 21st century with T is for thermal imaging camera. The colorful illustrations sport a spotted Dalmatian hidden on every page.