Additional information
by Dixie Lee Poché (Author), Roby Poché (Illustrator)
In Louisiana's Cajun Country, a celebration like no other occurs each Mardi Gras. The families of Acadiana come together on Fat Tuesday to host a centuries-old tradition: the Courir de Mardi Gras. During the running of the Mardi Gras, brightly costumed participants run, beg, sing, and dance for their neighbors as they gather tasty ingredients for the gumbo that will be shared at a dance party under a shining Mardi Gras moon.
But once upon a time, many years ago, the moon vanished, nearly putting an end to the fais-do-do! A fiendish duo hooked the festive moon and towed it away, depriving the revelers of their purple, green, and gold moonbeams.
So young Leloup set off on a quest to recover the shining sentry. A sprinkling of familiar bayou characters and critters are scattered throughout this fairytale. Through teamwork, and some silly shenanigans, they help our hero as he returns the moon to its proper place in the Cajun sky, just in time to enjoy a celebratory gumbo and dance to some zydeco tunes. He might have even found some Mardi Gras treasure along the way!
Leloup's story is full of fun references to the Acadian culture and is complete with a glossary of Cajun words, phrases, and places.
Author Biography
Dixie Poché is a travel and corporate writer based in Lafayette, Louisiana. Her work has appeared in numerous regional and national publications. She is the author of Cajun Mardi Gras: A History of Chasing Chickens and Making Gumbo, Classic Eateries of Cajun Country, and Louisiana Sweets. She enjoys conducting research at the lunch counter and spends time with lots of Cajun cousins hanging out on the front porch. Poché is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Journalism. This is her first children's book.
A Louisiana native, Roby Poché began drawing when he created his own original comic books and sold them to his classmates. He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a master's degree in architecture. He is currently living in Olympia, Washington, with his wife and two dogs. He enjoys hiking, painting, and cooking gumbo on chilly days.
