Description

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Winner of Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award & Selected as Outstanding by the Parent Council

Nationally acclaimed storyteller J.J. Reneaux grew up Cajun for true, surrounded by the stories, music, food, and culture of rural communities in southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana. Cajun Folktales serves up a spicy gumbo of more than twenty traditional Cajun animal stories, fairy tales, ghost stories, and humorous tales.

A traditional storyteller who collects by word-of-mouth, Reneaux has developed her repertoire over years of collecting--on front porches, school playgrounds, and her beloved fishing trips. She has refined her work in performances nationwide, including the National Storytelling Festival, where she has appeared numerous times. These stories of Cajun treasure and lost jewels will teach readers the importance of resourcefulness, courage and responsibility.

Publishers Weekly wrote, "While the tales of African Americans and Native Americans have been much anthologized, the vibrant oral folk tradition of the Cajun has been more or less neglected by American publishers. This excellent anthology by Reneaux helps plug that inexplicable gap. Reneaux, a noted storyteller and a Cajun herself, retells 27 tales she heard in childhood from relatives or has heard since from fellow Cajuns. Their folklore is as spicy and interesting as their famed food and reflects a variety of flavors and influences."

About the Author

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J.J. Reneaux Bio: Singer-songwriter, humorist, and author J.J. Reneaux combined her music, folklore, superstition, customs and true-life stories in her books and live performances. Cajun, Creole, Spanish, Irish, and Native American voices speak throughout her songs and stories, reflecting her own multicultural heritage and creating a colorful tapestry of life in the Deep South. Sassy and poignant, her performances were rooted in tradition yet remained surprisingly fresh. A natural comedienne, Reneaux lampooned modern culture with music, wit and honest-to-God true stories in contemporary performances for adults. Reneaux's lively school concerts and family shows delighted audiences of all ages with her multicultural mix of Southern folktales and music, as well as her original stories and songs. Known for her soulful singing and her gift for telling stories in original songs, Reneaux stories capture the rich rhythms and sounds of her native South. Her songwriting has reminded critics of artists like David Wilcox and Mary Chapin Carpenter, while her bluesy voice has inspired comparisons with Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt.