Since 1926, Pelican Publishing Company has been committed to publishing books of quality and permanence that enrich the lives of those who read them.
Adaptations
Deep in the heart of the Louisiana swamp, there lives a poor fur trapper, his second wife, and his twins. The stepmother has a plan to leave the children in the swamp to alleviate the family's financial problems. See how the Cajun Hansel and Gretel outsmart her plan and escape from the witch who lures them into her cottage. Hardcover.
Jake and his book from the library are placed in one sticky situation after another in this cute cumulative tale, an original adaptation of the classic There Was an Old Lady.
One sleepy morning, two hungry cowpokes decide to make a big, hot buttermilk biscuit. Cowboy Jack kneads the soft dough and adds three pats of butter and a smear of strawberry jam to give the buttermilk biscuit a face before setting the skillet on the fire to cook. When the biscuit is done cooking, out pops a buttermilk biscuit boy—and with him, a whole mess of trouble!
Grab your pot and filé and get ready for a delicious Cajun read with your little one. Cay Gibson has adapted a classic trickster tale to tell the story of young boy who lives with his Mama and Papa along the Atchafalaya Basin. When ’Ti Beau goes for a walk while wearing his fancy new clothes from the Mardi Gras festival, he attracts the attention of the swamp’s alligators, who threaten to sauté him and turn him into sauce piquante!
In a spicy and sweet sequel to her best-selling book, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, author Dianne de Las Casas brings to life a new friend for the Cornbread Boy—the sticky sweet Buttermilk Biscuit Girl.
Rascally raccoons, feisty foxes, and artful alligators aren’t the only creatures running wild in the bayou. With a peppercorn nose, a boudin mouth, chili-pepper eyes, and no small amount of cayenne pepper, the Cajun cornbread boy sprints through the swamps in shrimp boots and a cast-iron skillet hat, shouting as he dodges a number of perils along his way. When the boy meets an alligator who’d really like to have him for lunch, one of them is in for a truly spicy surprise!
When fisherman Paul catches a talking fish, it promises to grant him a wish if he lets it go. Eventually everyone learns that you must be careful what you wish for if you want to hang on to what’s really important.
Based on the classic E.T.A. Hoffmann tale, this story takes place outside of New Iberia, Louisiana, on Bayou Teche. Young Merrae dances to the sound of Zydeco music and eats gumbo during her family’s festive Christmas fete. When her godfather, Parrain Comeaux, arrives, he presents the children with gifts, including a Nutcracker for Merrae.
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.
Children will be captivated by this classic’s New Orleans setting and by the vibrant illustrations. As lagniappe (something extra), Cajun-French words and phrases are used throughout the English text. Translations of the French words, along with a pronunciation guide, make this story educational as well as entertaining. Hardcover.
A cultural spin on the classic Chicken Little tale, this story follows Chachalaca Chiquita, a colorful southwestern bird, through her journey after a pebble falls from the sky and hits her right on the head. On a mission to tell the jefe (boss) that the sky is falling, Chachalaca Chiquita joins the feathered flock of Lina Gallina, the prairie hen, and her chicks and heads to the mountain.
A classic tale meets Southern spice!
Based on the musical Cinderella Battistella, created by Bob Bruce and David Cuthbert with music by Feddie Palmisano, this picture book captures all of the 1950s charm of the original performances. Artist Tony O. Champagne’s original artwork pulls from iconic New Orleans images to set the stage and add depth to the tale narrated by Mother LeRoux.
With her trademark wit and humor, storyteller Dianne de Las Casas transports readers to an animal kingdom far, far away, where the pretty pachyderm, Ellaphant, lives with her odious step-mother and two ugly step-hippos. Aided by her fairy godmouse, Cinderellaphant is whisked away in a peanut carriage to foxtrot, bunny hop, and tango hoof to hoof with the charming zebra prince. Elephants may have a long memory, but it’s the prince who can’t get Cinderellaphant out of his head as he uses her gargantuan glass slipper to track her down. A true lesson in looking beyond the surface, this punny story will delight and entertain with its whimsical illustrations and charmingly told tale.