"Johnette Downing thinks like a kid but writes like a magician. This Cajun tall tale is a little bit scary and a lot of fun."
—Dr. Julie Kane, former Louisiana poet laureate
A tale of trickery and greed, pirogues and buried treasure, will o’ the wisps and dancing light—
The Fifolet tells of a fire sprite who exists all over the globe. But nowhere does the sprite burn as bright as in the black swamps of Cajun bayou. Legend says if you see a fifolet, a blue flame of light, you may just disappear. Where do you go? Nobody knows—nobody except maybe Jean Paul Pierre.
Fishing in Atchafalaya is the only thing Monsieur Pierre likes to do, and he catches hundreds of fish but shares none. A heart hardened by greed, Jean Paul seems to be impervious to fear, but even he trembles at the sight of the fiery sprite. He cannot keep his desire at bay; he must discover if the old adage is true: “where you see a fifolet, treasure is sure to be.” Pierre digs and digs, but treasure he does not find. What he finds instead is never to be known, for he disappears before the eyes of the clever fifolet.
About the Author
Johnette Downing is an award-winning and internationally recognized singer and songwriter. Her many accolades include eight Parents’ Choice Awards, four iParenting Media Awards, and four National Parenting Publication Awards. She wrote and/or illustrated There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Bugs, Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud, How to Dress a Po’ Boy, Why the Oyster Has the Pearl, Why the Possum Has a Large Grin, Macarooned on a Dessert Island, and other Pelican titles. Downing lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.
About the Illustrator
Jennifer Lindsley is an artist, illustrator, and art instructor based in Louisiana. She earned her associate of arts degree in acting from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and her bachelor of arts degree in design technology from the University of Northern Colorado. She is the proprietor of ACME Studios, LLC, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She teaches children and adults the basics of art technique and instructs them to apply specific skills to a variety of media. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, “down the bayou,” just like Monsieur Pierre.
THE FIFOLET
By Johnette Downing
Illustrated by Jennifer Lindsley
JUVENILE FICTION / Horror & Ghost Stories
JUVENILE FICTION / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Country & Ethnic
JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / United States / General
32 pp. 8 1/2 x 11
31 illus. Glossary
Ages 5-8 & Grade K-3
Cajun Tall Tales Series
ISBN: 9781455620364