Rougarou at Mardi Gras

By Vanessa Cano and Josiah Bolth

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing
• Release date: Oct 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9781439679357

Vanessa Cano

Vanessa Cano is a lover of tales (tall, small, the fairy kind, and many more besides). She received her master's degree in library sciences from Pratt Institute in New York City so that she could help share those tales. During that time Vanessa also worked in the records division at Ellis Island and had the honor of hearing many amazing stories about the incredible journeys of America's immigrant ancestors. She draws her inspiration from all the storytellers out there--in her family and all over the world--who have enthralled us since before we knew how to write down their words. As a long-term resident of New Orleans, Vanessa got to know Rougarou from hanging around the bayou and being a bit of a Mardi Gras monster herself. Josiah Bolth has lived in Pennsylvania and California and earned his BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He resides in New Orleans, and this is the second picture book he has illustrated.

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