About the Book
Tall as a giant, 13-year-old Petite Marie Melancon is hired by Maxwell
I. Discover, the New York publisher of Kurrent Komics, to provide adventures
for The Kajun Kween comic strip. The action focuses on Petite’s misadventures
not far from her home in the chenier country of south Louisiana: scouting
for ‘gator eggs, hunting snapping turtles, weathering a hurricane tied
to a tree, poling in a pirogue in a swamp alone, winning a gumbo cooking
contest and the consolation prize in a hot pepper eating competition.
A pot-bellied pig, Petite names Adam, blows in on the winds of a tornado,
and Henri Theriot befriends Petite during one of her adventures.
About the Author
Diane has written Petite’s adventures especially for middle-graders; adults
may read it too. In 1995, she published Martin’s Quest, a fiction book
for young reader which was selected for LLA Accelerated Reading List &
as finalist in the Heekins Foundation Children’s Award. Also this book
inspired the writing of Integrated Teachers Guide for Martin’s Quest. Diane
has been a magazine editor & has published Iran: In a Persian Market;
Their Adventurous Will; Live Oak Gardens; Avery Island; articles, poetry,
& short stories in many periodicals. A native of Louisiana, she makes
her home in New Iberia.
Illustrated by nationally known folk artist, Paul Schexnayder, who has
won many awards for his festival posters and narrative art about life in
south Louisiana.
Excerpts
“...Lightning flashed jaggedly across the skies, and Petite remembered
all the warnings from her parents about standing under trees during a lightning
storm. The rain pelted her body. Although the temperature had
only dropped to the 80's, she shivered. Dull gray clouds hung over
her tree like a dark pall. Petite thought about nightfall when wild
animals would prowl over the cheniers, finding her imprisoned by her own
hands. She suffered battering from the wind and rain for perhaps
an hour before she heard a friendly voice....”
“...Loup garous are people who want to do bad work and turn themselves
into werewolves. They have red eyes, pointed noses like wolves, hairy
bodies, and long pointed nails. They get voodoo grease and rub it
over their bodies, and that makes them turn into wolves. They hold
big dances on the banks of bayous. If you catch a frog and take it
along and happen to see a loup garou in the swamp, you can throw the frog
at him. Loup garous are afraid of frogs....”
“...Petite raced up the path, black boots whooshing in the marsh mud.
Only once did she look back. She saw Big Mama waddling as fast as
she could after Uncle Ti' Joe, hissing loudly, her mouth half open.
Uncle Ti' Joe made a clucking noise, attempting to calm the 'gator but
she kept coming...”
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