Gayle holds a Master’s + 30 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (currently ULL) and has worked in elementary education for 25 years, primarily designing and implementing enrichment curricula for gifted children. She generally lives with her nose in a book or talking about books she’s read. When she’s not writing, reading to groups of children, hosting gatherings for her family and friends, or playing with her grandchildren, you might find her riding her tricycle!
Gayle’s debut picture book, When I Was an Alligator, was illustrated by Drew Beech and published by UL Press in 2020. In 2022 When I Was an Alligator represented Louisiana at the Library of Congress National Book Festival. Her second book, When I Was a Pelican, was released by UL Press in August of 2023. Her third book, Greta’s Gumbo, was released by Pelican Publishing/Arcadia in March of 2024. Look for her middle-grade non-fiction book A Place for Pelicans: The Incredible Story of Queen Bess Island to be released by UL Press in the fall of 2025; and her 4th picture book, How to Catch a Moon Pie, to be released by Pelican Publishing/Arcadia.
