Mardi Gras!

Rougarou loves to play, and sing, and dance—just like you do! But she looks a little different, and sometimes people who don’t know her think she is scary. So she stays in the swamp and acts silly with her friends, who love her just the way she is. But on one very special day each year, Rougarou leaves the swamp. It is a day when everyone loves to play, and sing, and dance. People dress up in colorful costumes and go to parades. Can you guess what day it is? It’s Mardi Gras, of course!

           In her sequined costume, Rougarou sparkles and dazzles on Mardi Gras Day as she hits the streets. She stops for beignets, and then she tracks down the Mardi Gras Indians, whose costumes are even more fabulous than her own. A quick bite of gumbo and she is off to cheer on Rex. There are so many adventures to have on Mardi Gras Day! Everywhere there is music. Everywhere there are smiling people.

           This fun, brightly colored tour of a New Orleans Mardi Gras introduces children to what makes the day so special as well as everyone’s favorite Carnival customs.

“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 is the most magical time of year for Petite Float and her papa. This season, Petite is extra excited because, for the first time, she will be joining the other floats in the parade as they roll down the streets of town. Even her dreams haven’t prepared her for the splendor that is Carnival: the happy crowds, the hand-painted throws, the dazzling flambeaux, and the sparkling floats. As day turns to night, Petite experiences all the best memories of a childhood Mardi Gras. She wonders at the beads flying through the sky, marvels at the bass drums of the marching bands, and delights in the twirling dancers and caped riders on horseback. As Petite Float makes her way down the parade route, the magic of Mardi Gras fills the air and stirs the imagination.

       Bright, cheerful art perfectly complements this sweet story and captures the innocent joy of a child’s first Mardi Gras.