The Octopus's Holiday: A Different Kind of Christmas Story

Paul Pycraft has always been interested in stories written for children and adults who know they are different from everyone else. He wrote his first children's story at eight years old called "Twelve Feet of Snow." And when somebody told him that it never snows as much as twelve feet, he didn't back down. He got out his crayons and made the story into its very own book. Although he is all grown up, at least technically, Paul still writes the kinds of stories that he needed when he was eight years old who felt different from everyone else. And now he wants to share these stories with everyone who needs to see their uniqueness reflected in the world around them, whether they are LGBTQ+ or feel different from the crowd in some other way. Paul Pycraft's books try to imagine completely new stories about being different and about discovering all the beauty and variety that life has to offer. And he is not interested in following anyone's expectations about what a children's story should be, because you can't tell a new kind of story by following the same kind of format as everyone else. "The Octopus's Holiday: A Different Kind of Christmas Story" is the first in an eight-part series about two one-of-a-kind octopus friends named Doris and Shelly. Paul Pycraft is the pseudonym of Michael P. Bibler, Ph.D., who teaches American literature at Louisiana State University.

Melissa Vandiver is a New Orleans-based artist specializing in painting. Growing up in South Carolina with an artist mother, she's been drawing and painting since she can remember. In an attempt to do something practical with her life, she studied architecture at Clemson University, and came to New Orleans shortly thereafter in 2007. She was only supposed to stay two months. Electrified by the vibrancy and culture of the city, she continues to draw inspiration from it as she balances working as a full-time artist, spending time with her husband and tiny dogs, and putting glitter on things.