Cajun Night After Christmas

by Jenny Moses

Overview

Inspired by the spicy humor of Cajun Night Before Christmas® and the authors’ own chaotic holiday experiences, this is the story of St. Nick, an alligator named Pierre, and the Boudreau family’s post-Christmas blues.

Boudreau needs to get away. His children are hollering as they play with their new toys, and his wife has cleaned out their pocketbook after buying Christmas gifts and treats. As he drifts down the bayou on a moonlit night, Boudreau spies Pierre, one of St. Nicholas’ alligators that has been left behind! Boudreau offers Pierre a home to keep him safe from hunters and trappers.

Will St. Nick ever come back for his lost gator? And what will Boudreau’s children think of this new pet? The antics of this cast of characters are sure to induce laughter and add a fun twist to the original story!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781565547797
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/31/2000
Series:	The Night Before Christmas
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.34(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Everyone knows what happens the night before Christmas, but what about the night after? Jenny Jackson Moss, along with coauthor Amy Dixon, sets the record straight in Cajun Night After Christmas, illustrated by James Rice. Born in New Orleans and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, Moss attended Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. After finishing at Newcomb, Moss worked for two years as a social worker for Louisiana State University in the medical school's pediatric genetics department. She then returned to graduate school, earning her master's degree in early childhood education with an extra degree in special education. Soon, however, Moss decided that a career change was in order. After meeting her husband, a Tulane graduate and medical student, she married and had three children. While her husband, Charley, continued with his residency, she became increasingly interested in art. Her husband set up a urology practice in Lafayette, and the family moved to their new home, where they remained for eight years. During this time, Moss began entertaining the idea of writing and illustrating children's books. In addition to writing, Moss continues to pursue a career in painting, designing inspirational pottery under the name the Mustard Seed. She lives in Sumter, South Carolina, with her husband and three children, Meredith, Andrew, and Miller.

Editorial Reviews

"Twas the night after Christmas an' poor ole Boudreau, His wife she dun spent mor' money den he know."

Boudreau couldn't take it anymore. His children were loudly playing with their Christmas toys, his head was hurting, and he wanted to get away. Boudreau stepped onto his skiff and floated down the bayou enjoying some peace and quiet. As he did so, an alligator passed him floating in his own skiff sipping a drink. Obviously, this was no ordinary alligator. This was Pierre, who helped pull St. Nicholas's "sleigh." But ".dat gator he dun got kinda fat, An' de skiff couldn't fly wit' a body like dat." Boudreau decided to rescue Pierre and brought him home before he ended up in a zoo. Boudreau explained to his family that St. Nicholas "dun' left his good gator, Pierre, behind!" The children were thrilled.

Good-natured Pierre allowed the children to poke and tease him and even dress him up to look like a bunny! After a while though, Pierre felt he had had enough and decided to run away. Before he could do so, along walked "de gator Louise-she checkin' Pierre an' she like what she sees." While on a date, Pierre confessed his love for Louise. They married and soon there were many little alligators running around their house. Each Christmas, after all the toys have been delivered, St. Nick takes time to visit with Pierre and remember the good ole days.

Moss and Dixon are not only sisters but both are visual artists. They wrote this story after reminiscing about a particularly hectic Christmas they had shared together. Rice is a prolific illustrator and writer, with more than fifty books to his name and a million and a half copies in print. The detail in each drawing ranges from the facial expressions of both humans and alligators to the mixed media, featuring line drawing.

This Cajun tale, written in verse, tells the hilarious story of one of St. Nick's alligators who was left behind after the toys were delivered one Christmas Eve. (November)