Poo-yi! There is nothing more foul than the smell of a skunk, except for the harsh words of teasing children. They need to learn that people who are different from themselves are special in their own way, too. In the twelfth book in the
Clovis Crawfish Series, Mary Alice Fontenot has created a delightful story to emphasize this point to youngsters on and off the bayou.
The skunk Batiste Bête Puante doesn’t mean to offend his friends, but the awful smell he gives off is just one of his defenses. At first, the little wetland creatures make fun of him. But Clovis comes to the defense of the misunderstood skunk when Batiste saves René Rain Frog from the treacherous threat of Sosthene Snake! In this tale of a smelly tail children learn about the heritage of the Cajuns. More importantly, attention is focused on the importance of respecting the unusual abilities of others. The wetland animals quickly realize that Batiste’s foul-smelling gift isn’t so bad after all and that everyone should be appreciated for his own special talents, no matter how unusual they may be.
About the Author
Mary Alice Fontenot is best known as the children’s author of books on Cajun culture. She created the famous wetland characters of Clovis Crawfish and his friends more than thirty years ago. In addition to the Clovis Crawfish Series, Fontenot wrote several other children’s books, including Mardi Gras in the Country and The Star Seed, both published by Pelican. Fontenot worked as a kindergarten teacher and, for thirty-five years, as a newspaperwoman. Her dedication to children and to her art earned her the 1998 Acadiana Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award. She died in 2003 at the age of ninety-three.
About the Illustrator
Scott R. Blazek resides in Clovis, New Mexico, where he is a Lutheran minister and an award-winning freelance artist. He was awarded a $2,500 prize from the U.S. Mint for designing a five-dollar gold coin featuring James Madison for their Bill of Rights Commemorative Coins set.
CLOVIS CRAWFISH AND BATISTE BÊTE PUANTE
By Mary Alice Fontenot
Illustrated by Scott R. Blazek
JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / General
32 pp. 8 1/2 x 11
19 Full-color illustrations
Pronunciation guide Song with music and French and English lyrics
ISBN: 9780882899527 hc