Cajun Home
Grade 3-6AAdding another title to his excellent series of photo-essays about distinctive American cultures, Bial uses his lens to illuminate the Louisiana Cajun lifestyle. Through stunning full-color pictures of little thingsAa boat, a chair, a washboardAhe meticulously builds a portrait of a fascinating people. The readable text is as illuminating as the photos, starting with an informative but concise discussion of their history and migration from the northern coastal regions of France to the bayous of Louisiana where they now reside. In spare prose, Bial offers essential facts and also covers a broad spectrum of the Cajuns' daily life, past and present, including their food (with a recipe for jambalaya), their music, and their own particular brand of Mardi Gras. The book provides an excellent look at this unique culture and is by far the most informative and accurate children's title on this subject. A short, useful list for further reading contains both fiction and nonfiction. All together, a quality production.AJudith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.