If you've ever strolled by Jackson Square on a humid morning, you know that smell—the intoxicating, sugary scent of fresh fried dough and powdered sugar mixed wafting on the wind. But what happens when one of those delicious treats decides it's not quite ready to be eaten?

Today on Confetti Park Storytime, we are sprinting through the streets of New Orleans alongside a very fast, very sugary character in "The Runaway Beignet," written by the wonderful Connie Collins Morgan.

And --we are beyond thrilled to feature a very special narration of this tale. A huge Confetti Park thank you goes out to Connie for sharing her story and her voice to this episode.

We all know the story of the Gingerbread Man, but Connie has given this timeless fable a delicious Louisiana makeover. Instead of a gingerbread man running through a meadow, we have a feisty beignet darting past local landmarks, clever animals, and hungry onlookers.

It is a delightful romp that captures the rhythm and flavor of a street scene in the French Quarter. With its catchy "catch me if you can" singsong, a dash of bayou magic, and the charming illustrations (by Herb Leonhard) that bring the beignet to life, this is a story book you will read over and over again.

A Special Thank You to Connie Collins Morgan

We are beyond thrilled to feature a very special narration of this tale. A huge Confetti Park thank you goes out to Connie Collins Morgan for sharing her story and her voice to this episode.

Hearing an author read their own work adds a layer of magic that you just can't get anywhere else. Connie's warmth and playful delivery make the Beignet's escape feel more vivid than ever. We are so grateful she shared her time and her talent with our community of little dreamers and music lovers.

Discover More: Check out Connie's other work and grab a copy of the book at https://conniecollinsmorgan.com/

Confetti Park is a family radio program and podcast out of New Orleans. We feature local authors and songs that celebrate the magic of childhood and the unique culture of Louisiana and the Gulf South.

Confetti Park is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

Stanton Dossett, from Shreveport, Louisiana, grew up surrounded by music that shaped his earliest memories. His grandmother, Mary Lou Davis, was a talented pianist and composer who filled his childhood with original songs and lullabies. Stanton's mother continued that tradition, playing classical pieces—especially Chopin—which made music a daily presence in their lives. The gentle humming of Hattie Shepherd, the family's housekeeper, also added warmth to his childhood.

At age nine, Stanton's mother taught him the chords to "St. Louis Blues," inspiring him to learn guitar and make music for himself. These early experiences created an enduring love for music that remains part of Stanton's story today.

Thank you, Stanton, for sharing this childhood music memory -- as well as one of your grandmother's original lullabies -- with Confetti Park.

Confetti Park is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

A professional performer and New Orleans teacher, Donald Lewis, Jr. has shared his stories with scores of Louisiana children over the decades atschools and libraries around the state. He's delighted New Orleans audiences in dozens of theatrical performances over the years. And many have heard his sonorous deep voice over the airwaves on WWOZ and WRBH 88.3 FM, Radio for the Blind and Print Handicapped.

In this childhood music memory, Donald shares how his love of the stage first began.

Donald was living in Texas when he was five or six years old, and he had the lead role in a performance of "She'll Be Coming around the Mountain."

It was a little skit created just for kids. The children were dressed in cowboy hats and riding around on mop horses, and Donald was proud to belt out the lines of the song.

It was that moment, in front of the audience, that he got the acting and performance bug!

Donald did not want to leave the stage. After the performance was over, and at the end of the night while all the people for leaving the auditorium, Donald ran from his parents and went back to the stage to start his performance all over.

Donald's mother had to scoop him up and pull him away from the stage. And that was Donald's first glorious introduction to the stage limelight.

Thanks, Donald, for sharing this fun childhood memory!!!

Confetti Park is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.