Mardi Gras: A Cajun Country Celebration [Hardcover]

Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith (Author), Lawrence Migdale (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Introduces a Louisiana Cajun family and their celebration of Mardi Gras including the music, the food, and the costumes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5?Told from the point of view of Joel, a young Cajun fiddle player, this book offers interesting, accurate, lively information on how Mardi Gras is celebrated in the area around the small town of Eunice in South Louisiana. In the process, Hoyt-Goldsmith also intersperses fascinating general facts about Cajun culture, including a two-page history of the Acadians. Instead of the overwhelming atmosphere of glamour and frenetic gaiety associated with New Orleans' Mardi Gras, the Cajun Courir de Mardi Gras radiates a real sense of community and down-home fun that will appeal to children. To celebrate, revelers and musicians gather at dawn in their homemade costumes, travel by horseback around their town, and entertain residents in exchange for donations of food for a huge communal dinner later that evening. The full-color photographs are clear and informative, following Joel and his family from their holiday anticipations and preparations to the morning after, Ash Wednesday. Books on Mardi Gras for children are rare and usually contain little or no mention of this tradition. An excellent offering.?Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. As in previous collaborations, Hoyt-Goldsmith and photographer Lawrence Migdale show in words and pictures a child celebrating an important cultural occasion. Narrator Joel first describes the history of the Cajun people--their move from France to Canada, their dispersal through the world, and their rejoining in Louisiana. He then describes the origins of Mardi Gras, talks about Cajun music and his father's accordion workshop, and gives a recipe for chicken gumbo. The remainder of the book depicts two similar Mardi Gras celebrations. In both, the ingredients for a gumbo (including a live chicken) are collected by costumed parade participants who dance and sing. The presentation is cheerful, but unlike some of the team's earlier works, the book seems too crammed with material: the pages are crowded, the writing style has little child appeal, and the pronunciation guidelines repeatedly interrupt the text flow. The text is unlikely to spark children's interest in Cajun culture, but it may be a good source for reports. A glossary is appended. Susan Dove Lempke

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823411842
• ISBN-13: 978-0823411849
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Religious

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