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Mary Alice Fontenot

An adorable crawfish tries to stop a blue jay from making a meal out of his friend in this Louisiana bayou in this classic tale of friendship.

 Clovis Crawfish takes young readers on a journey through the bayou, his first of many adventures. Curious, Clovis begins searching for the reason his bayou is named “Tail of the Frog” and encounters many friends along the way, including Gaston Grasshopper, Lizette Lizard, and Fernand Frog. But friends are not the only creatures Clovis meets on his adventure, for the bayou is also home to many predators. When Clovis meets the hungry M’sieu Blue Jay, he needs to act fast if he wants to save everyone. Risking his own life for his loved ones, Clovis teaches the values of friendship. 

 Seasoned with Acadian-French phrases throughout the story, the authentic language deepens the bayou feel of the tale. A glossary and pronunciation guide, provided for reference, make learning about the Cajun vocabulary easy and fun. Now in full color, the story is enhanced by vibrant illustrations. 

Praise for the Clovis Crawfish Series

 “In Louisiana’s bayou country, Clovis Crawfish is a favorite folk hero of children who have met him in Fontenot's lively tales. . . . The stories have suspense, lessons in nature lore, French words, and plenty of fun.” —Publishers Weekly
“Mary Alice Fontenot’s Clovis Crawfish Series have been providing lessons both in nature lore and French words and phrases used in everyday Cajun conversation as well as stories that are simply fun to read.” —Houston Post

Pelican Publishing

Clovis Crawfish

Clovis Crawfish and His Friends

Originally published as a two-color edition in 1979, Clovis Crawfish and Etienne Escargot was an immediate hit with fans of the French-speaking animals of the bayou. This edition, with full color and black-and-white illustrations by Scott R. Blazek, brings the familiar characters to life.

Rain falls steadily on the banks of the bayou, turning the dirt to mud and causing the water to rise. But Etienne Escargot has barely noticed the rain-he has laid a mound of tiny, pearl-white eggs and is overwhelmed by his good fortune. Too late, he realizes he is marooned on a mud pile in a growing puddle. Can Clovis Crawfish think of some way to save the unborn snails? Will the fast-pecking Waldeaux Woodpecker be able to make a pirogue before the rain washes the eggs away?

Join Clovis and his friends for another bayou adventure, complete with French words, phrases, and even a song by well-known composer Denis Dirt Dauber!

Clovis Crawfish and Etienne Escargot

It’s springtime in south Louisiana, or is it? Clovis Crawfish isn’t about to wait around in his mudhouse to find out! 

 He sticks his head and whiskers outside the opening to his mudhouse and finds Rosalie Redbird and Christophe Cricket singing about the arrival of le printemps (spring). But if spring has arrived, where are René Rainfrog, Gaston Grasshopper, and Josette June Bug? Clovis decides to head for the swamp to find out. There he meets Simeon Suce-Fleur, a tiny hummingbird who is looking for threads to build her nest, and wise old Henri Hibou (Henry Owl), who warns Clovis that it is not yet spring. When tiny flakes of snow begin to fall, Clovis discovers that Henri Hibou was right, and dashes back to the warmth of his mudhole. But when he arrives, he sees Simeon Suce-Fleur lying on the ground, shivering from the cold. Has he arrived in time to save the little hummingbird, and what will Clovis do?

Clovis Crawfish and Simeon Suce-Fleur

Beloved author Mary Alice Fontenot introduces the Texas native Andrew Armadillo to the Clovis Crawfish Series. Andrew is unfamiliar with Cajun phrases, making him an outsider on the bayou. His loud voice and large size frighten the creatures. However, when one of Clovis’s friends becomes stuck in a tall thorn bush, Andrew’s height helps him to come to a safe and speedy rescue. 

 Illustrator Scott R. Blazek joins Fontenot yet again for this fun story about friendship and Cajun culture. With the inclusion of sheet music for the Cajun song “Fais Pas des Bêtises,” Cajun phrases, and definitions and pronunciations of Cajun words, this book is perfect for Cajun families and Cajun enthusiasts alike.

Clovis Crawfish and the Big Bétail

Clovis Crawfish and his pals return in another adventure on the Louisiana bayou. In Clovis Crawfish and the Spinning Spider, Simone Spider threatens the peaceful region by building her silver web right by Clovis's mud house. The bayou friends watch helplessly as Simone puts the finishing touches on her sticky web.