Clovis Crawfish and the Orphan Zo-Zo

As the group of bayou animals hurry to see the baby blue jay who has fallen from his nest during a storm, everyone wonders what to do next in Clovis Crawfish and the Orphan Zo-Zo. Some of them, like Christophe Cricket and Gaston Grasshopper, feel that the bird should be left alone, as it could later pose a threat to them. But Clovis Crawfish feels the situation is similar to that in the mythic tale of Androcles and the lion: when the “poor thing” grows up, it might eat them—yet Clovis feels that the orphaned bird needs their help badly and that they cannot let it die. Clovis states his case well, and soon all the bayou friends are working together to feed and take care of Zo-Zo. But when Zo-Zo dramatically shows everyone that he is ready to fend for himself, Clovis takes the necessary steps to send him on his way. Author Mary Alice Fontenot opens her young readers’ minds to the miraculous world of nature, acquaints them with some common French phrases which punctuate the various characters’ speech, and teaches a worthwhile lesson. The illustrations are amazingly detailed, beautifully reproduced on high-grade paper, and vividly portray the natural world of the Louisiana bayou.Marie Wise, Good Reading