“Reading Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, wonderful memories came running through my mind like a river. Being born in New Orleans, the people selling fruits and vegetables were a big part of the community I lived in. This book also brings to life the beauty and history of the city.” ―Diane Ferlatte, award-winning storyteller and Grammy nominee   When Mr. Okra drives by in his iconic, painted truck piled high with garden-fresh fruits and vegetables, people hear him calling his wares. Mr. Okra’s asparagus is rounded like the steeples of St. Louis Cathedral, and his eggplants are as dark as the coffee at Café du Monde. Bright illustrations of tasty, healthy food pop from the pages of this mouthwatering romp around familiar New Orleans locations. Readers follow the beloved local and his truck as he brings food and song to the city. “Reading Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, wonderful memories came running through my mind like a river. Being born in New Orleans, the people selling fruits and vegetables were a big part of the community I lived in. This book also brings to life the beauty and history of the city.” —Diane Ferlatte, award-winning storyteller and Grammy nominee Up and down the streets of New Orleans, Mr. Okra drives his brightly painted truck. All over the city, you can hear his call: “I got oranges and bananas! I got tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocadoes!” His fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables are as colorful as Mardi Gras floats, as green as the St. Charles Streetcar, and as different as the animals at the Audubon Zoo. Taste and tour New Orleans in this colorful story. Lashon Daley came to New Orleans to work with a nonprofit rebuilding organization as an AmeriCorps member. During that time, Daley discovered the joys of performing as a storyteller, sparking her interest in New Orleans folklore and the stories residents tell. Daley lives in Berkeley, California, where she is pursuing her PhD in performance studies. Emile Henriquez was born in the heart of the French Quarter. An art teacher, he also illustrated The Oklahoma Land Run, Toby Belfer Learns about Heroes and Martyrs, The Battle of New Orleans: The Drummer’s Story, D.J. and the Debutante Ball, D.J. and the Jazz Fest, and D.J. and the Zulu Parade. Produce vendor Arthur Robinson is known as Mr. Okra to the many New Orleanians he serves every day. His truck, painted by folk artist Dr. Bob, is an iconic sight in the city’s neighborhoods. When people hear his deep voice, they come outside to buy his fruits and vegetables. Mr. Okra is an honorary Ambassador to New Orleans and has been featured in several songs and documentaries. “I love selling fruits and veggies to the people of New Orleans because there are people who can’t get to the big stores and people who don’t really like to go to the big stores. . . . They depend on me and I depend on them. We are all family; even if they don’t buy nothing, they still come out and we talk. The fact that this young lady has put me in her children’s book means a whole lot to me. I’m very thankful.” —Mr. Okra Lashon Daley has been writing since her father’s death when she was young. After earning her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, Daley lived in New Orleans for several years, working for the nonprofit Phoenix of New Orleans as an AmeriCorps member. During that time, Daley discovered the joys of performing as a storyteller, sparking her interest in folklore and the stories we tell. After her mother’s subsequent death, Daley found that the spoken word evoked the part of her mother that lived on in her: her voice, her face, the movements of her hands. Daley’s passion has continued to fuel her work as a writer, especially of children’s literature and poetry. She is a 2014 Callaloo Fellow and a UC Berkeley Distinguished Graduate Fellow, where she is working towards her MA in folklore. Daley’s work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine; Country Roads magazine; and Underwater New York. An active performer, Daley makes her home in Berkeley, California.