07 Apr 2025 2 min read Blog

April Cover Reveal, Part 1!

Check out the first of my two picture book cover reveals this month.

Say hello to Down on the Bayou, written by Glenda Armand, illustrated by me, and published by Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House Kids!

The cover of Down on the Bayou, written by Glenda Armand and illustrated by Alleanna Harris. — *Down on the Bayou*, written by Glenda Armand and illustrated by me.

Summary

The bayou’s calling out to me.
“Come back, my son,” it says. “Come see.”
What holds me back, I do not know,
But I promised, and so I’ll go.

"Award-winning author Glenda Armand’s inviting and informational text along with illustrator Alleanna Harris’s lush illustrations capture the young protagonist’s imaginative perspective, the lovely bond between a grandfather and grandson, the power of poetry, and the beauty and history of the bayou."

A little bit of background...

When I originally received the summary of Down On the Bayou, I thought it was such an interesting premise. I had no prior knowledge of bayou flora and fauna, only the most common facts. I knew that there were big trees covered by Spanish moss and lots of gators. So, going into the project, I was nervous to get started, but very excited to learn about the bayou.

I didn't have experience with illustrating the bayou specifically, but I did have experience with illustrating tons of flora and fauna, especially with the picture book The Journey of York. As soon as I read the Bayou manuscript, I was surprised by how informative the picture book was. It had a combination of story, poetry, and facts about the bayou that was very unique. So, the information provided in the picture book combined with the reference photos from the folks at Crown had me 100% prepared to start illustrating.

Thank yous

I want to give a huge thank you to Glenda for trusting me with her beautiful words.

A big thank you also goes to Sonali Fry, Véronique Sweet, and the team at Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House Kids.

Another big thank you goes to Alex Gehringer and the Bright Agency as always!

Down On the Bayou comes out on May 20th, 2025, but it’s available for preorder now. I can't wait for you to meet Troy, his grandpa, and the beauty of the bayou!

I'll be back soon with another cover reveal,
Alleanna