Mary Alice Fontenot


Mary Alice Fontenot, born in Eunice, Louisiana, was a noted author of regional children's books, best known for the Clovis Crawfish series published by Pelican Publishing, a collection of eighteen books featuring animals from the Louisiana bayou. The books are written in English and sprinkled with Cajun words, with an explanation of their pronunciation and meaning.
Fontenot's first Clovis Crawfish book was published in 1961, with several more following in the 1960s and 1970s; the series shifted into high gear with multiple volumes published from the 1980s up until the time of her death in 2003 at age 93. She authored several children's books outside the Clovis Crawfish series, including "Mardi Gras in the Country" which tells the story of how Mardi Gras is celebrated in rural Acadian areas as opposed to the large, glamorous New Orleans carnivals, and "Star Seed," a telling of Christ's birth. Fontenot was also the author of several regional histories and biographies and the co-author of a cookbook, "Cajun Accent." Her final book, "Clovis Crawfish and Silvie Sulphur," was published posthumously in 2004.
Fontenot worked over three decades as a journalist beginning in the early 1940s, writing features and book reviews for several Louisiana and Mississippi newspapers, including a period as women's news editor for one paper. She also hosted a radio show on KSIG-AM in Crowley, Louisiana and taught kindergarten classes. In her senior years, Fontenot concentrated on her career as a book author and was quite prolific penning new volumes from her seventies into her nineties.
Fontenot's awards include the Acadiana Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award, the Louisiana State Library Award, and in 2003, she was named a Louisiana Legend by Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

Books

Clovis Crawfish Series
French editions
Additional Children's Books
Various Books on Louisiana History