Arden Stewart

Arden Stewart, a retiree of multiple professions and lifelong learner, is an author and illustrator of children’s fiction. Her stories combine fantasy and facts to engage children’s sense of adventure, helping them learn while having fun. Born in 1937 and a resident of New Orleans, LA, for most of her life, Arden holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. She became a licensed ASCP Medical Technologist, working in hospitals and doing labs for a few local veterinarians. Later, Arden leaned into her artistic tendencies, learning to blow glass and weld, resulting in a multitude of creations that ranged from glass art pieces to copper fountains to abstract sculpture. As a typical New Orleanian, she has renovated a few houses (and is working on a book documenting one historic renovation). She also owned and operated a shrimp boat. With a diagnosis of macular degeneration, Arden’s eyesight has been deteriorating for years. Still, she dreamed of publishing a children’s book based on a character she developed named Mz Kissy—a flying pig with an adventurous spirit. In 2021, she did just that and now has completed authoring and illustrating a total of six books featuring Mz Kissy and her family. 

The first three books (“The Kissy Family Adventures” series) examine the mysteries of nature, while the next three (“Kissys Visit Space” series) introduce a space traveler who teaches concepts of space exploration to the Kissy family.