Mardi Gras!

Believed to have originated in twelfth-century France, the king cake tradition is an homage to the wise men (three kings). In New Orleans, as in Europe, a charm or plastic baby is hidden inside the cake and whoever finds the treasure is crowned king or queen for the day. The unofficial regent is also expected to host the next king cake party--or at least provide the cake! So, of course, everyone asks "Who got the baby in the king cake?" Downing's hand-cut colorful collage illustrations accompany her original song in this joyous story designed to entertain and educate kids of all ages. The full song, and many others celebrating her Louisiana home, can be found on her album Swamp Romp: A Louisiana Dance Party for Children.

Throw me out there, mister!

When Carnival rolls around in New Orleans, everyone gets into the celebration—including the beads! On Fat Tuesday, a plain string of little purple beads hangs from a hook on a parade float. His fervent wish is to be caught by someone special. The bigger and fancier beads tell him that no one will ever catch him. But a little hope and determination may go a long way in the magical season of Mardi Gras! When the bead spots a little princess in the crowd, he knows she is the person for him! Will she try to catch him? The heartwarming tale offers opportunities for a discussion of bullying, self-worth, and inclusion with young readers. The delightful story and illustrations from this daughter/father team will charm the entire family and become a parade route favorite!

 

Raised in New Orleans, Julie P. Rowley holds a master’s of education in early childhood curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. Her stories were inspired by her daughter’s imagination.

A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, John R. Paquette is a retired editor. He is also a professional vocalist and a talented portrait artist and illustrator. He enjoyed collaborating with his daughter.

Dive into Cajun Mardis Gras, where the party goes down with a wholly different flourish Everyone knows about Louisiana Mardi Gras and its glitz, glam, parades and masquerades. But in Cajun County, the festival turns communities into stage shows of wild revelry. Called Courir de Mardi Gras in the rural parishes, you'll find masked runners and horsemen bedecked in colorful, tattered clothing, cavorting through the countryside on a begging quest for gumbo ingredients. It's an outrageous celebration--derived from the French medieval Festival of Begging--on the eve of Lenten season's fasting. In exchange for neighborly generosity, the revelers sing, dance, act a fool, chase chickens and unite the community with an abundance of mirth that reverberates year-round. Join author Dixie Poche and take part in the wild spectacle and otherworldly whimsy of Courir de Mardis Gras.

Let the good times roll down in New Orleans! Read the secrets and origins of the beloved Mardi Gras.

New Orleans practically owns Mardi Gras, and you would be hard-pressed to find someone who would deny it. The wild celebration brings thousands of tourists to Louisiana each year, but none of it would be possible without the carnival krewes. The backbone of this Big Easy tradition, different krewes put on extravagant paries and celebrations to commemorate the beginning of the Lenten season. Historic krewes such as Comus, Rex, and Zulu date back generations and have become part of New Orleans' greater history, but today, what was once an exclusive position has widened their reach and new krewes are inaugurated regularly to enrich the flavor of Louisiana's cultural melting pot. Through careful and detailed research of over three hundred sources, author and New Orleans native Rosary O'Neill explores this storied institution, its antebellum roots, and its effects in the twenty-first century.

In chapters ranging from food and drink to history and war, this book shares real-life stories that only New Orleans could produce. Errol Laborde founded Lundi Gras and the now-beloved tradition of Zulu meeting Rex at Spanish Plaza before a loud, excited crowd on the eve of Fat Tuesday. He tells that origin story here, along with other vignettes adapted from his national-award-winning Streetcar column in New Orleans magazine.

"No, mon ami! You can't catch me!"

When an old Creole woman bakes dessert on King's Day, she has no idea what shenanigans will ensue. In this New Orleans adaptation of The Gingerbread Man, a mischievous king cake baby escapes his cake! He outruns a praline lady and a waiter at Café du Monde, but can he outsmart the clever baker? Chock full of Louisiana phrases and comic-book-style illustrations, this new take on an old tale brings the Crescent City to life from Jackson Square to the Creole Queen riverboat. This lively story is a great way to introduce children to the sights, sounds, and especially tastes of New Orleans. It even comes with a recipe for homemade king cake--just make sure to keep track of the baby!

Mardi Gras in Mobile began its carnival celebration years before the city of New Orleans was founded.

In the 1700s, mystic societies formed in Mobile, such as the Societe de Saint Louis, believed to be the first in the New World. These curious organizations brought old-world traditions as they held celebrations like parades and balls with themes like Scandinavian mythology and the dream of Pythagoras. Today, more than 800,000 people annually take in the sights, sounds and attractions of the celebration. Historian and preservationist L. Craig Roberts, through extensive research and interviews, explores the captivating and charismatic history of Mardi Gras in the Port City.

This miniature book of Gaston Goes to Mardi Gras
to hang on your tree tells the story of how Gaston the green-nosed
alligator has returned from the swamp and is taking adventurous readers on
a tour of Mardi Gras. The things he sees on his journey are the real
events that take place during Carnival! In Cajun country, Gaston joins a
Courir du Mardi Gras group, enjoys spicy gumbo, and dances in a fais
do-do until dawn.
Gaston�s voyage then leads him to New Orleans for even more new
sights. On his way, he spies a secret krewe building beautiful floats.
Gaston gets to ride along with the Krewe of Zulu as they deliver painted
coconuts to the crowds who are yelling, Throw me something,
Mister! The magnificent parade of Rex, King of Carnival, delights
Gaston. The festivities continue late into the night as krewe members
dance the night away at magical balls. Come join Gaston in his Mardi Gras
discovery!

Get ready to stomp and chomp to that mambo beat! When carnival time rolls into New Orleans, these hip dinosaurs want to boogie on down. Iguanodon wiggles to the music of a marching band, while Zigongosaurus dances zydeco and Pterodactyal swoops into the crowd. From singing tunes and tossing beads, these big beasts sure know how to party. Laissez les bon temps rugir!

The little giraffe escapes the zoo and finds herself in the French Quarter, where she makes new friends who agree to help her. In the second story, Jenny Giraffe rides a float in the super Krewe of Orpheus parade. Young children will greatly enjoy these recordings.

A glimpse into the legacy of the "chief of chiefs."

Robert Nathanial Lee, known as Chief Robbe, was the first and only person to be named "chief of chiefs" by the Mardi Gras Indian Council. From his birth in 1915, Chief Robbe faced hardship and discrimination, but he always found a way to do what he believed in. By the end of his life in 2001, he had been the Big Chief of four different tribes, given a lecture at Yale University, and become a role model for generations of New Orleans black youth. Author Al Kennedy enhances the story of Chief Robbe's life with extensive detail and interviews from their personal relationship, creating a biography perfect for both New Orleanians and those who simply love the city.

In the first book of its kind focusing on the expansive African American Mardi Gras experience in New Orleans, float designer and native New Orleanian Rene Pierre documents and explores the richness of his community's contributions. With two generations of family photographs and a firsthand knowledge of the African American krewes, Pierre brings to light this oft-neglected aspect of the Carnival tradition. The artistry and history of the floats and costumes of these krewes stand as testament to an undercelebrated group of New Orleanians who have consistently enriched their city and its traditions. As a participant and member of the community, Pierre charts the growth and influence of the oldest black Carnival clubs in New Orleans including the Original Illinois Club, the Exclusive Twenties, the Black Pirates, and the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. Through one-on-one interviews with krewe elders, Carnival royalty, and artisans, along with family narratives from Pierre's childhood, Carnival Noir tells a very personal story of the black Carnival experience.