Author Event! Children's Books

Eight local authors of children’s books will discuss their books at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

This event is free of charge and is open to the public, who will have the chance to purchase books directly from the authors.

Gary Alipio, Craziest Cajun Football Tale

Twelve-year-old Hatcher has big football dreams. He wants to be a play-calling star. A legend. He joins a city youth team with the hopes of designing plays to win a championship. But when his inability to read plays correctly gets him cut to the B-team—a group of misfits—his dream of winning turns to surviving a season of Cajun craziness.

A New Orleans native and LSU graduate, Gary Alipio is an author, a digital marketer, a photographer, a fishing aquatic instructor, a teen chauffeur and a high school bass fishing coach. In 2019, his Craziest Fishing Tale on the Bayou represented Louisiana at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C.

Shannon Kelley Atwater, Fais Do Do

Shannon Kelley Atwater was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale. She moved to Louisiana in 2005 to attend Loyola University where she graduated with a degree in Visual Arts. She fell in love with the city and her husband and they planted their roots and never left. Her first picture book is Alligators Don’t Like Flowers. She is also the author illustrator of Goodnight Pothole and illustrator of Rainbow Rodney. She has been a featured author at the Louisiana Book Festival and New Orleans Book Festival.

Adam Dennis, Gary and the Tooth Fairy and The Boy from the Swamp

Adam Dennis earned his bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, and his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School in Columbus, OH. He has written for multiple online publications, satirizing the confusing world of parenting or over-analyzing the fictional goings-on of superheroes. When he is not writing, he helps his wife run her successful pediatric dental practice or shuttles his two kids around town

Michaell Dumont, Phoebe Cakes and Friends: An Alphabet Tail: Learn Your ABCs

This board book is especially designed and crafted to stimulate and entertain little learners.  As they learn the alphabet, they will be greeted by bright colors, lift-and-find flaps and easy to turn pages.  

Michelle Dumont lives in New Orleans, with her family and four furry friends. A licensed Respiratory Therapist and Asthma Educator, she began writing following the advice of a friend. Like Phoebe, she loves long car rides, peanut butter and everything New Orleans.

Madi Hannan, Scrim on the Run

Known for his wiry fur and mischievous antics, Scrim has become a beloved figure in the city, darting through neighborhoods, dodging potholes, and leaving a trail of smiles wherever he goes.

Author/Illustrator Madi Hannan is a high school science teacher by day and an avid creative by night. Her artistic journey has taken her from painting pet portraits to crafting door hangers and anything else she can put her doodles on. Born and raised in New Orleans, she draws inspiration from the swamp and city that have given so much to her, especially her love of crawfish and snowballs.

Alice Hoyt, MD, Wally the Seafood Allergic Walrus

Wally the Seafood-Allergic Walrus is a story for children, parents, and educators. The story emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing food allergies, being prepared with necessary medications such as "EpiFriend," and displaying empathy in emergency situations. It also highlights the significance of forgiveness and friendship, demonstrating that these values can turn even the most difficult circumstances into opportunities for growth and understanding.

Dr. Alice Hoyt is a board-certified allergist and leads the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy, Metairie. She has practiced evidence-based medicine for more than a decade. Prior to medical school, she earned a degree in nutrition, and is well versed in navigating the complexities of food allergies. She then completed training and earned board certifications in internal medicine, pediatrics, and allergy and immunology.

Anna Romano Johnson, Real River Rats

Huey and his family of river rats live along the batture of the Mississippi River near New Orleans. He dreams of riding the bridge train atop the Huey P. Long Bridge and exploring the world beyond his family’s home on the levee. Follow along on an adventure that weaves through some of Louisiana’s most fascinating characters and famous landmarks. 

 Anna Romano Johnson is a lifelong resident of the New Orleans area, born in New Orleans at the former Mercy Hospital. Anna lives a half mile from the Mississippi River levee in Old Jefferson, Louisiana. She is a former school librarian and teacher and is Louisiana’s Elementary 1997 Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). She and her family love to travel and have visited over eighteen countries. Anna also enjoys spending time in the Cedar Point area of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where she watches blue herons, egrets, and pelicans in the bay. She is an avid reader of historical fiction.

Erin Rovin, The Little Bead Tree

In New Orleans, a little oak tree asks Grand Oak why it is so small in comparison. The Grand Oak replies that the young one is special and will one day everyone will see. As the seasons change and the tree grows, the young tree continues to ask why it isn't as big, or as full of leaves, or strong and study. With a gentle voice the Grand Oak encourages and guides the small oak to have patience, stay grounded, and have trust in the future. When that future arrives, the Grand Oak celebrates the little trees uniqueness in this inspiring tale that encourages us to nurture the young and guide them towards their own unique nature.

Erin Rovin lives in New Orleans, She wrote for multiple entertainment websites while living in Los Angeles and created a weekly fashion column for a local newspaper while in Pennsylvania. She also wrote for an online site as a New Orleans City Guide, interviewing locals on what makes NOLA so special and covering regional events. 

Program inquiries should be directed to Chris Smith, Adult Programming, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.