Alberta Helmes Dunn wanted to write something unique so she combined two classical fairy tales into one contemporary story with African-American characters.
But the Luling writer didn’t stop there.
Dunn put the characters in Luling and that’s where her story really begins, a setting surrounded by woods that she considered natural for the book. Having grown up in Kentucky, she was fond of the setting.
Named “Little Red meets the Three Little Pigs,” the children’s book is her first project being published through independent publisher AuthorHouse in Indiana. She hopes this book will be the first of a series of books she wants to write.
“I wanted something unique and to inspire African-American children,” Dunn said of the project that took her a year to write. “There aren’t any classical fairy tales with African-American characters that I’m aware of as the main characters.”
But she also wanted to write a unique story, which is why she thought it interesting to create a storyline where Little Red Riding Hood meets the Three Little Pigs.
Dunn also sought to capture the area’s local inflection by sprinkling words and phrases into the story like “Who dat?” and the continual term of endearment of locals referring to each other as “boo.”
“I think fairly tales always have a hidden message to stay on the path, don’t talk to strangers and it’s a good way to relay the messages to young people in an entertaining way,” She said.
She also localized the story culturally by naming the main character “Little Red Riding Hoodie” and one of the pigs has a rapping song to make the book more relatable.
“I hadn’t read any modern-day versions of the fairy tale and that made me decide to bring them into the millennium,” Dunn said.
She also blended local color into the storytelling where “the woods are colorful here with the wildflower and minnows in the canal.”
“My inspiration came from working in the library and working around children,” said Dunn, who is a library technical assistant at Norco Elementary School. She started working as a substitute teacher in the St. Charles Parish school system in 2001. “It’s always been a dream or passion of mine to write children’s books.”
Her son, Malcolm, inspired her to finally take the leap into pursuing her dream. He told her, “Just do it” until she replied, “You’re right. Why don’t I just do it.”
And she did.
Having spent her early childhood in a housing authority development in the small town of Covington, Kty., Dunn found an escape in books and then in writing them. Her family left the area and she was enrolled in a Catholic school that she said balanced her world.
“You’re living in poverty, but going to a fancy school,” Dunn said. “It taught me how to get along with everybody.”
It’s what drove the independent, adventurous spirit in her that eventually took her to college in California, and how her escape became a passion.
“I always wanted to be a role model for African-American girls,” she said. “We don’t have to just sing and dance. We can also write. I can’t sing or dance, but I can write.”
But, overall, Dunn hopes to inspire children to pursue their dreams.
“Our kids don’t think we can achieve our dreams,” she said. “This is has always been a dream and passion and I just want little African American children can do this. Don’t let people squash your dreams because they will if you let them.”
Dunn ought to know.
Even though she couldn’t afford to hire an illustrator for her 45-page book, she moved ahead with her first project.
“I just really like writing for children and I really like writing, and children is who I like writing for,” she said. “I just want them to enjoy reading.”
Dunn’s book is available through Authorhouse.com or Amazon.com.
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