An adorable crawfish tries to stop a blue jay from making a meal out of his friend in this Louisiana bayou in this classic tale of friendship. Clovis Crawfish takes young readers on a journey through the bayou, his first of many adventures. Curious, Clovis begins searching for the reason his bayou is named “Tail of the Frog” and encounters many friends along the way, including Gaston Grasshopper, Lizette Lizard, and Fernand Frog. But friends are not the only creatures Clovis meets on his adventure, for the bayou is also home to many predators. When Clovis meets the hungry M’sieu Blue Jay, he needs to act fast if he wants to save everyone. Risking his own life for his loved ones, Clovis teaches the values of friendship. Seasoned with Acadian-French phrases throughout the story, the authentic language deepens the bayou feel of the tale. A glossary and pronunciation guide, provided for reference, make learning about the Cajun vocabulary easy and fun. Now in full color, the story is enhanced by vibrant illustrations. Praise for the Clovis Crawfish Series “In Louisiana’s bayou country, Clovis Crawfish is a favorite folk hero of children who have met him in Fontenot's lively tales. . . . The stories have suspense, lessons in nature lore, French words, and plenty of fun.” —Publishers Weekly “Mary Alice Fontenot’s Clovis Crawfish Series have been providing lessons both in nature lore and French words and phrases used in everyday Cajun conversation as well as stories that are simply fun to read.” —Houston Post

Clovis Crawfish and his friends show "cheval de diable" Michelle Mantis that there are things in this world to eat other than themselves.

Originally published as a two-color edition in 1979, Clovis Crawfish and Etienne Escargot was an immediate hit with fans of the French-speaking animals of the bayou. This edition, with full color and black-and-white illustrations by Scott R. Blazek, brings the familiar characters to life. Rain falls steadily on the banks of the bayou, turning the dirt to mud and causing the water to rise. But Etienne Escargot has barely noticed the rain-he has laid a mound of tiny, pearl-white eggs and is overwhelmed by his good fortune. Too late, he realizes he is marooned on a mud pile in a growing puddle. Can Clovis Crawfish think of some way to save the unborn snails? Will the fast-pecking Waldeaux Woodpecker be able to make a pirogue before the rain washes the eggs away? Join Clovis and his friends for another bayou adventure, complete with French words, phrases, and even a song by well-known composer Denis Dirt Dauber!

After Clovis Crawfish and his Louisiana bayou friends welcome Silvie Sulphur, of the butterfly family, to their neighborhood and help her in a rainstorm, everyone pitches in to make a new mud house for Clovis.

Bertile Butterfly's baby goes through its metamorphosis unharmed, thanks to the constant attention of Clovis Crawfish and his bayou friends.

Clovis Crawfish introduces Raoul Raccoon to the other animals in his Louisiana bayou.

A group of French-speaking Louisiana bayou animals save the life of an orphaned baby bluejay.