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Lafayette author Gail Webre will use her debut children’s book, When I Was an Alligator, and its “Curious Cajun Kid,” to win national awards at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. audiences with a taste of Louisiana’s wetlands.

Webre was one of two authors selected by the State Library’s Louisiana State Book Center to represent Louisiana at the September 3 event.

Hosted by the Library of Congress, the National Book Festival is an annual literary festival that brings together writers, poets, illustrators and readers for a day full of book signings, talks and readings. The festival began in his 2001, according to the Library of Congress website.

Webre said she was “honored and amazed” that she was able to represent the state on the national stage.

“Surreal is the best word…the whole thing was mostly fun,” said the author.

Webre’s debut film follows a “curious Cajun kid” who transforms into animals like alligators and herons to learn about the creatures and the wetlands. In October 2020 he was published by UL Press.

New to the world of writing, Webre knows how to read. Her paternal grandfather, Sam Glenaud, was a teacher in Marksville and instilled her love of reading in her Webre throughout her life.

The author spent 25 years as an educator in the Lafayette Parish School System, primarily in developing and teaching enriched curricula in gifted programs. Webre said children develop a love of reading from an early age and know how frequent reading can make a big difference.

“[Reading] It gives children an experience they can’t get. It sparks children’s imaginations, increases their vocabulary and helps them relate to other children,” she said.

Webre, who finished her teaching career, said she was looking for new ways to spend her time in addition to pampering her five grandchildren. She had various pieces of “When I Was a Crocodile” rattling around in her brain for years. And after she stumbled across a panel at her local Children’s Writers and Illustrators Association in the fall of 2018, she decided to take the plunge.

“When I Was a Crocodile,” she said, had three main inspirations.

The first was The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, a favorite book her grandfather had at home.

The second was an excursion Webre took with some talented students to the National Wetland Research Center in Lafayette. Webre, a lifelong Louisianan, said he was overwhelmed by the complexity of wetland ecosystems and the complexity of studying them.

A third inspiration aptly came from Webre’s children. One day during her visit, her Sawyer, Webre’s then-four-year-old great-nephew, said, “Aunt Gale, when I was a crocodile…” in his imaginary tale of her adventures. made her happy. His dream became the basis for her protagonist’s magical transformation.

From conception to publication, Webre’s book journey took about two years. She said she “loved the challenge” of learning the industry, from her writing style to signing her publishing deal.

Webre went through many iterations of editing the manuscript, looking for the exact words to encapsulate her character’s wacky, magical transformations and accurately reflect the life of the creatures in the local wetlands. was backed up by hours of research and scrutinized by local research biologists.

“[The Acadiana Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators] There are critique groups… I had a book club and my husband who listened to this story on repeat. It was very complicated to write it. One thinks of 480 words — how hard would that be? But every word matters. Every word counts,” she said.

Webre commissioned a fellow girl named Drew Beech from Homa, Louisiana, who is now based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to draw the illustration. Her children’s picture books, she said, are all about the synergy of art and text, and the two of her together create a complete experience.

“Can you see the onomatopoeia on every page? Drew and I went back and forth for three days on which font to choose for that.

Her books are sold by wetland-adjacent businesses, including children’s stores, independent bookstores, museums, and bayou tour services throughout the state and the Gulf Coast.

In-person events were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Webre says that through Zoom readings at schools and small-scale in-person events, the eyes of children embracing her books are sparkling. I said it was thrilling to see them there. It’s the same feeling she had as a teacher, she said, when students finally decided on a concept.

Always a teacher at heart, Webre has posted reader questions in the back of her book and additional materials on her website to help parents and educators educate young readers about the wetlands and their creatures. He said he had more opportunities to speak.

A second book, “When I Was a Pelican,” centered around the characters from Webre’s “Curious Cajun Kid,” is already in the works. The book will be published by UL Press this spring.