Rickey Pittman

From athlete to bricklayer, chef, diver, zydeco musician, and more, careers in Louisiana are varied and interesting.Young readers will learn about the paths they might take when choosing a career in the Bayou State. A "What Would It Take to Become..." page gives young entrepreneurs practical tips for landing their dream job.

Blood Diamonds of the Lost Bazaar takes readers into two very different worlds-from the Lost Bazaar Art Gallery in small-town North Louisiana into Sierra Leone and its dark, violent and sad world of Blood Diamonds and boy soldiers. Caitlin, a beautiful and talented artist, ends a stormy relationship with her musician boyfriend Hunter and journeys to Sierra Leone. Von Vermeer, a wealthy, charming diamond merchant pursues her, and though attracted to him at first, Caitlin is horrified to discover that he is actually a corrupt, deranged diamond smuggler whose crazed obsession threatens her safety. Caitlin returns to Louisiana with Tejan, her adopted son, and rebuilds her relationship with Hunter, hoping to experience the joy of a loving family and redemptive love. But Vermeer follows her to Louisiana, bringing with him the violence she thought she had escaped, threatening her newly found happiness.

The Book of Facts for the Scots, Irish, and other Celts is certainly a book that will educate and inspire anyone who has Celtic ancestry or wishes to increase their knowledge of the Scottish, Cornish, Irish and Welsh cultures and histories.

The heart of Southern Texas--the Rio Grande Valley--is brought to life through rhyming text and vivid illustrations in this charming Texas-themed ABC book. Steeped in tradition at the crossroads between the United States and Mexico, the Valley's residents have established a unique way of life, honoring their past and reaching for their future.Author Rickey Pittman uses the alphabet to celebrate the sights and sounds of this unique life in the Magic Valley, capturing a full list of experiences from the flight of the aplomado falcon to the delight of a daughter's quincea era, the spirit of mariachi music, and the ride of Antonio Zapata.Illustrator Julie Dupre Buckner splashes the pages with the hues of Valley life, from the bright butterflies gracing the grasslands to the clear night sky shining with stars in this informative and educational book for all ages.