I really liked this book because it teaches so much. It shows the culture of Cajuns. It shows the way Cajuns talk. It even adds in a translation section. I especially like how it shows that parents or even grandparents have a reason for saying no sometimes because it could be to protect you from danger. Although this was the case and she disobeyed the rules, they congratulated her in the end for saving the grandfather and helping to catch the alligator. It is a very familiar sounding story but told in a Cajun way. ( )

Charming. I love the glossary and author's note on history and culture in the front, and the Recipe for a Cajun Accent" on the back. The drawings are fun, and I'd enjoy reading this aloud. It's longer than a toddler book, long enough to develop some characterizations. The plot is thin, but amusing." ( )

In FELICIANA FEYDRA LEROUX, a young Cajun girl wants every so badly to catch a “halligator” with all of the men-children in her family. When Grandpa Baby tells her she can’t go, she’s certain it’s because she is a girl, though she’s told it’s simply too dangerous. Feliciana disobeys her grandfather’s commands, however, and sets off into the night. She quickly winds up getting into trouble with the alligator, but catches him just as fast, making her family quite proud. The inspirational story, written by Tynia Thomassie, shows that girls can do things just as well as boys can. The beautiful water color illustrations by Cat Bowman Smith add to the jolly tale. This book would be a great resource to use in the classroom to teach a lesson about other cultures, as well as gender equality. One example of a question for discussions is, “How do you feel about Feliciana going alligator hunting like the boys?” A teacher could have students illustrate a few things they learned about the Cajun culture and discuss it in small groups. ( )

Love, love, love this book! Using Cajun French sayings, the author tells a story of a little girl, Feliciana. Her family goes alligator and leaves her behind. At the end it is Feliciana that saves the day. I would read this to my class when studying Louisiana culture. ( )

Feliciana Feydra LeRoux is spoiled rotten by her grandpa who will give her everything she wants and let her do anything she wants. The one and only thing he won't let her do is go alligator hunting. She wants to so bad that she decides to go by herself to meet up with them. In the end she runs into a huge alligator who wants to eat her up, but she ends up killing it. This is a great book to read to children when they are learning about Louisiana. ( )

Feliciana is at it again. This little girl sure do like causing trouble. She wants to go alligator hunting, and every cajun knows that is only for the guys. Even I wanted to go once, but for safety reasons, I was denied. ( )

This Book is about a little girl named Feliciana Feydra LeRoux who has a very special relationship with her PaPa. The story takes place in cajun country down by the bayou. Her Papa did everything with her and for her he took her fishing, he taught her the cajun two-step, and he even let her suck the heads off his crawfish. There was one thing Feliciana's Feydra PaPa wouldnt let her do with him and that was alligator hunting. Feliciana would beg and plead and he would never give in. So all the boys and PaPa loaded up in the boat and off they went. Feliciana decided she wasn't going to be left behind and jumped in with them but PaPa made her and her doll get out and go in the house. That night Feliciana crawled out her bedroom window and took her brothers canoe and paddled her way through the swamp until suddenly she came eye to eye with an alligator. Fortunately her PaPa showed up just in time to rescue her but he fell into the water and was in terrible danger so Feliciana through herself into the water to distract the gator and did a fine job when it came after her she rammed her pecan doll upright in the gators mouth to lock open his jaw giving her and Papa time to swim to safety, and gave the boys a chance to rope the gator and catch him. So Feliciana, PaPa, and the boys returned home to share with their neighbors what Feliciana had done over a big feast.

I really enjoyed this book it reminded me of my relationship with my PaPa but he thinks I can do anything the boys do.

Talk to your class about cajun county and dialouge plus we could also discuss gender roles and relationships.

Make a cajun dish and we could have a cajun show and tell. ( )

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 1995 (Vol. 48, No. 9))
Feliciana Feydra is her Grampa Baby's favorite grandchild; he indulges her ("He jellied her toast with blackberry preserves to the very edges of the bread") and she's his shadow ("Wherever Grampa Baby was, Feliciana Feydra was a heel behind"). When it comes to alligator hunting, though, he'll only take her six older brothers no matter how much she begs to come along. One year, however, F. F. heads out to the bayou by her lonesome and meets up with a hungry 'gator just as Grampa Baby and her brothers show up; turns out that our heroine's too clever to be reptile food, and she saves herself and the boys, as well as bringing home enough alligator tail for a feast. This is more reality-based than Isaac's Swamp Angel-the tale is outrageous rather than impossible-and it has a high-spirited flair all its own. Thomassie includes a Cajun glossary (and a "Recipe for a Cajun Accent" on the back cover) for those uneasy in the bayous, but the vocabulary is pretty clear in context, and her lilting text begs to be read aloud ("Feliciana Feydra was Grampa Baby's teetsie-walla. Hoooo, he spoiled her rotten!"). Smith's watercolors rely on deep hues, particularly of greens and reds, but the effect is intense rather than somber; Feliciana Feydra's gap-toothed visage and perkily restless habits (she's hanging upside down in places, sauntering Huck-Finnishly in a straw hat in others, and bouncing with enough vigor to lift her pigtails to the horizontal just about constantly) make her an endearing protagonist. Despite the ending ("Y'all pass a good time tonight, too, ya hear?"), this ain't no bedtime story-crack this one open, think of crawfish, and laissez le bon temps rouler. R--Recommended. (c) Copyright 1995, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1995, Little, 32p, $14.95. Ages 5-8 yrs. ( )