Since 1926, Pelican Publishing Company has been committed to publishing books of quality and permanence that enrich the lives of those who read them.
Audio CDs
Master storyteller Coleen Salley narrates two timeless family Christmas stories, capturing the unique sounds of the bayou as a backdrop for these holiday tales.
“Forget Dancer, Prancer, Comet, and Vixen . . . Good Clement, wherever he is, will not be gnashing his teeth.”
—New York Times Book Review
Storyteller Tommy Joe Breaux lends an authentic air to these classic tales.
CENDRILLON: A Cajun Cinderella Children will be captivated by this classic’s New Orleans setting and vibrant narration. As lagniappe (something extra), Cajun-French words and phrases are used throughout the story. As in Cinderella, Cendrillon is pestered by la belle-mère (her stepmother) and les belles-soeurs (her stepsisters) but is helped by the bayou creatures who are ses bon amis (her good friends) and by la marraine (her fairy godmother). While the essence of the original story remains, the influence of New Orleans is evident throughout.
PETITE ROUGE: A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale Take Little Red Riding Hood and drop her in the middle of the Louisiana bayou, and she magically transforms into Petite Rouge! Will Petite Rouge safely deliver her étouffée to Grandmère? Will Grandmère get well? Will the gator taille-taille (monster) eat them both? As children discover the answers to these questions, they will also learn numerous Cajun words along the way.
Clovis Crawfish and his friends share two adventures on this bilingual CD. Tracks include French and English translations. The skunk Batiste Bête Puante doesn’t mean to offend his friends, but the awful smell he gives off is actually one of his defenses. In this tale of a smelly tail, children learn about the heritage of the Cajuns and the importance of respecting the unusual abilities of others.
It is late summer on the bayou, and the friends are sad because soon summer will be gone. The bayou friends are even sadder because it is time for Bertile Butterfly to leave. To wish Bertile bon voyage, Clovis throws a going-away party, complete with music and entertainment.
Clovis Crawfish and his friends share two adventures on this English/French bilingual CD. Bidon Box Turtle has only one problem. He is a Mississippi land turtle who wants to cross the bayou and not get his hat wet.
“Kuk-kuk-kwak-kuk-kwak-kuk!” What could possibly make a sound like that in the Louisiana bayou?Whatever it is, it frightens Clovis’s friends, Christophe Cricket, Lizette Lizard, and René Rain Frog.
Clovis Crawfish and his friends share two adventures on this English/French bilingual audio track. Friendship is the underlying subject in the very first volume in the landmark Clovis Crawfish Series.
And, it’s springtime in south Louisiana, or is it? Henri Hibou (Henry Owl), warns Clovis that it is not yet spring. But when he sees Simeon Suce-Fleur lying on the ground, shivering from the cold, has Clovis arrived in time to save the little hummingbird?
Clovis Crawfish and his friends share two adventures on this bilingual CD. Tracks include French and English translations. A big bétail (big animal) intrudes into the swampland on a gloomy day, and the bayou critters are fearful. Can Clovis help them to overcome their fears?
A group of bayou animals hurries to see the baby blue jay that has fallen from his nest during a storm. Some of them, like Christophe Cricket and Gaston Grasshopper, feel that the bird should be left alone as it could later pose a threat to them. Yet Clovis knows that the orphaned bird needs their help badly, and they cannot let it die.
Clovis Crawfish and his friends are for two new adventures on this English/French bilingual CD. Clovis and his friends help the Cigales twins, Chicot and Coteau, stage a summer concert on the bayou despite the ever-present threat of the voracious M’sieu Blue Jay.
Bertile Butterfly has a baby, and Clovis and his friends are surprised to see that the baby does not look like a butterfly. It looks like a worm instead! As they watch the baby grow, they discover the growth stages of a caterpillar.
Clovis Crawfish and his pals return in another adventure on the Louisiana bayou. This time, Simone Spider threatens the peaceful region by building her silver web near Clovis’s mud house. The bayou friends watch helplessly as Simone puts the finishing touches on her sticky web.
Clovis Crawfish and his friends share two adventures on this bilingual CD; tracks include French and English translations.
Michelle Mantis, an ugly old insect with an enormous appetite, visits the swamp home of Clovis and his friends, and her voracious appetite alarms Clovis’s friends.Etienne Escargot makes his way through the bayou country to live with Clovis and the bayou friends. Before reaching Clovis’s home, Etienne releases his eggs, forming a pile of tiny pearly shells.
The Cajun language, spoken by the descendants of exiled Acadians, has been passed on by word of mouth for more than two hundred years. Cajun French is still widely spoken throughout Louisiana, despite threat of extinction and the controversies associated with including the language in school curricula. Conversational Cajun French I, the first systematic approach to teaching the language, makes Cajun French accessible to those born outside Cajun families and works to preserve the Cajun language and culture.
Fanfou, a loveable elephant from France, stars in this tale about his unlikely adventures visiting Louisiana. The story is told in French using common phrases and key terms such as directions, emotions, colors, and animals. Basic French speakers will hear the action unfold as Fanfou scores a touchdown for the Saints, discovers oil in Lafayette, and rides in the Angola rodeo.
Sarah Kirwan Blazek, narrator and author, was born in County Wexford, Ireland, and retains dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States. Her delightful brogue perfectly complements the stories on this CD. A former teacher at the Academy of the Sacred Heart for Girls/Hardey Preparatory for Boys, Blazek lives in Chicago, Illinois.
In Jenny Giraffe Discovers the French Quarter, Jenny finds a place to fit in. “Run, Jenny, don’t let them take you to the zoo! Find a new home!” urged Jenny Giraffe’s mother after the door to their truck popped open. Afraid of life in the zoo, the little giraffe did as her mother said, slipping through an open gate into a beautiful French Quarter courtyard.
In Jenny Giraffe’s Mardi Gras Ride, Jenny Giraffe learns all there is to know about Mardi Gras.
This Mother Goose-goes-to-the-swamp audio has authentic Cajun characters, ranging from Oyster Man and Jacques and Jill to Petite Rouge Riding Hood. This glimpse into south Louisiana’s Cajun traditions is filled with unique dialect and ongoing humor. Familiar rhymes such as “To Market,” “Pat-A-Cake” and “Little Boy Blue” are flavored with the same cultural flair.
Born in 1923, Chase is a living legend known for popularizing Creole cuisine, an advocate for African American equality, and an outspoken voice in politics. While contributing to both the black and white communities of New Orleans, she raised four children, grieved the loss of a daughter, and survived a bombing during the Civil Rights era. Based on her own words, and reflections of others, this biography, which is narrated by her, reveals Leah Chase—a woman of integrity, talent, and ambition. Four Audio CDs, read by Leah Chase.
In these two stories from award-winning educator and lecturer Steven L. Layne, Joey tries to convince the monsters to eat his brother, Dan, while the older brother has a hard time learning how to “love the baby.” Narrated by Layne himself, these stories cast a funny and fond glance at sibling relationships and include such valuable lessons as how to make a persuasive argument—as in the case of Joey and the monsters—and how to be patient and honest when a newborn joins the family.