Review: A great Cajun read about a road trip to 'Croak' Orleans and the swamp animals along the way.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 23, 2013
Not long ago, I was reading a piece about Kristin Davis, an actress from the show Sex and the City who mentioned the books she reads to her children. One of the books I was not familiar with. In an amazon search, I found many books by this author, Rhonda Patton.  The title Dylan and the Croak Orleans Gang caught my attention right away. I grew up in Louisiana and made many trips to New Orleans. To my pleasant surprise, this book is about a road trip to Croak Orleans. Cajun books for kids are not easy to find, and I quickly downloaded for my four-year old niece. This book is as beautifully written as it is illustrated. The characters are animals that are common to the Louisiana area. The colors used throughout will be very familiar to anyone native to this state. The story line is about a band that slowly comes together as a result of the other animals Dylan the frog meets on his trip. One of my favorite parts is all of the animals being frightened when an alligator wants to befriend them, but they are quickly swayed by his musical abilities and invite him into the band. I do not usually carry on like this about books, but it has been a long time since I came across a childrens book this original, enriching, and fun. I will be 'one clicking' more from this author!