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

When a hungry raccoon gets trapped in a spiderweb, Clovis urges his friends to abandon their fear of Raoul and help him out of a sticky situation.

Un après-midi agréable sur le bayou louisianais est interrompu quand Caroline Coccinelle arrive tout d’un coup en volant, effrayée d’un ver qui est gros et vilain. Clovis Ecrevisse donne du confort à Caroline en lui expliquant que cette créature effrayante n’est que Tonise Too-loo-loo, son compère du bayou. Pendant que Clovis calme Caroline et dit à Tonise qu’il doit se comporter mieux, un orage commence à faire nuageux l’horizon. Pauline Papillon, Lizette Lézard, René Rainette, et Théodore Tortue ont peur. Tandis que Clovis rappelle pour ses amis que le soleil n’est jamais loin, les nuages sombres s’évanouissent, et le soleil réapparaît comme si magiquement.

Les créatures du bayou sont en train de voleter ou de dormir calmement dans le soleil aéré de l’après-midi quand Soulie Sauterelle voit, en haut du vieux chêne, un gros animal fourreux qui a des gros yeux. Clovis reconnaît cet animal, Charles Chaoui, le raton laveur, mais ses amis ont peur toujours de l’apparence et de la taille de Charles. Comme toujours dans la série de Clovis, un drame réaliste se déroule, quand les dangers habituels menacent les créatures du bayou. Clovis doit aider ses amis à travailler ensemble pour conquérir leurs peurs de Charles et pour découvrir que même quelqu’un qui a la taille d’un chaoui a besoin d’aide de temps en temps.

Mary Alice Fontenot, native et résidente de la Louisiane, est mieux connue comme le auteur pour enfants sur la culture cadienne. Il y a plus de trente ans qu’elle a créée Clovis Ecrevisse et ses amis, les créatures célèbres des terres mouillées. Ancienne enseignante de maternelle, elle fait des discours aux festivals et aux classes d’enfants, où elle décrit la vie unique des bayous et des terres mouillées de la Louisiane. Sa dévotion aux enfants et son art lui a gagné le Acadiana Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award de 1998.

Lizette Lizard seeks the help of her dear friend, Clovis Crawfish, as she searches for her twin sister. A surprising new development in the Clovis Crawfish Series occurs when Lizette Lizard seeks Clovis�s help to find her twin sister, Lois, a previously unknown bayou resident. Friends of the bayou are enlisted in this tale of lost and found as some take to the skies while others search the water�s edge to help their friend.

In this bayou adventure, Michelle Mantis, an ugly old critter, enters the bayou friends' territory. She is a ravenous praying mantis and is called the cheval de diable (devil's horse) in French. With her insatiable appetite, Michelle wants to consume everything in sight, including Clovis's friends! Clovis defends them, and the hungry insect settles for some ants, eating one after another. Her stomach full, she falls off a log onto the muddy bayou bank, but with mud on her wings, she cannot fly. Josette June Bug, Christophe Cricket, and the rest of Clovis's friends were fearful of Michelle, but now Clovis rallies them to free her and send her on her way.