Real River Rats

Join Huey the river rat on a Louisiana adventure of bridges, levees, and landmarks

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.

Melissa Vandiver is an artist, illustrator, and graphic designer in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she lives with her husband and one tiny dog. Originally from Texas and South Carolina, she is a graduate of the Clemson University School of architecture, moving to New Orleans shortly thereafter to help the city rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. She fell in love with it, put down roots, and was so inspired by her environment that she decided to become a full-time artist.

Melissa has illustrated twelve published books, painted hundreds of pet portraits and human portraits, and truly pushed the limits of what glitter can do with costuming and Mardi Gras festivities. Her favorite things to paint are animals and dilapidated buildings, and her favorite food is macaroni and cheese.