Louisiana lost a gem when Mary Alice Fontenot died in 2003 at the ripe age of 93. The prolific author from Eunice produced numerous books in her career, including children’s books, a cookbook and several titles on Louisiana history.
She’s best known, however, for her Clovis
Crawfish series, 18 books published by Pelican Publishing of New Orleans that
feature an adorable crawfish as the main character and a host of animal
friends. Her books incorporated Cajun words in the story, with explanations and
pronunciations in the back of each book. This blending of Cajun French in
children’s stories would be replicated many times by Pelican with other authors
and their Louisiana-themed books.
Fontenot was also a veteran newspaperwoman and
the host of a radio show on KSIG-AM in Crowley. She received the Acadiana Arts
Council Lifetime Achievement Award, the Louisiana State Library Award and was
named a Louisiana Legend by Louisiana Public Broadcasting in 2003. She died in
2003 at the age of 93.
The City of Eunice celebrates its 125th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, and among the numerous events planned will
be an unveiling of the Clovis Crawfish statue by the descendants of Fontenot at 3 p.m. at the Eunice Depot Museum. The statue depicts Clovis’s house created by Reginald Keller. Visitors may purchase Clovis
Crawfish books signed by Julie Fontenot Landry at the statue's unveiling.
For more information, visit https://cajuntravel.com/event/eunice-125th-anniversary-celebration/ or call the City of
Eunice at (337) 457-7389, Ext. 1, and ask for Heather or Mayor Scott
Fontenot.
Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.
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