Six Mardi Gras books to kick of Carnival with your kids

If you’re looking to kick off Carnival with your little ones, our public libraries have a variety of beautifully illustrated books about Mardi Gras that are filled with adventure, heritage, and fun! Whether your Mardi Gras includes a trip to the parade route or not, pick up a king cake, one of these cute books, and you’re set.

Terrebonne Parish Public Library has a wide variety of children’s Mardi Gras books including Gaston Goes to Mardi Gras, Dinosaur Mardi Gras, and Randolph solves the Mardi Gras Mystery. TPPL provided the following summaries:

• Gaston Goes to Mardi Gras (2000) By Rice, James – Gaston Goes to Mardi Gras tells the story of how Gaston the green-nosed alligator has returned from the swamp and is taking adventurous readers on a tour of Mardi Gras. The things he sees on his journey are the real events that take place during Carnival in Cajun country, Gaston joins a Courir du Mardi Gras group, enjoys spicy gumbo, and dances in a fais do-do until dawn.
• Dinosaur Mardi Gras (2012) By De Las Casas, Dianne – Get ready to stomp and chomp to that mambo beat When carnival time rolls into New Orleans, these hip dinosaurs want to boogie on down. Iguanodon wiggles to the music of a marching band, while Zigongosaurus dances zydeco and Pterodactyal swoops into the crowd. From singing tunes and tossing beads, these big beasts sure know how to party. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
• Randolph Solves the Mardi Gras Mystery by Crochet, Pat Hornsby – Randolph is back, and this time it’s to save Mardi Gras! It’s Randolph’s first time at a Mardi Gras parade, and the little coonhound and his best friend, Olivia, are having the time of their lives. Until . . . Oh no! Disaster strikes! A masked bandit tries to ruin Mardi Gras, and Olivia is sure her outing to the parade is over. Randolph, the cutest, most curious puppy, would do anything to see his best friend smile. He knows that it’s up to him to save the day! Together the pair takes off in search of the only thing that can get the parade back on track. What’s that thing, you ask? Follow along to see if the Mardi Gras mystery gets solved! Randolph learns lessons about friendship, intertwined with a little Louisiana tradition in this adventure that will have readers exclaiming, Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Lafourche Parish Public Library has an impressive collection of Mardi Gras children’s books including Celebrating Mardi Gras, Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras prize, and Phoebe Cakes the Bulldog : a Mardi Gras Tail. LPPL provided the following summaries:

• Celebrating Mardi Gras by Ann Heinrichs – Let the good times roll! Colorful floats, shiny beads, and delicious king cakes herald the arrival of Mardi Gras. Kids discover the origins of Mardi Gras and learn about the food and activities associated with this famous festival. Young readers learn creative ways that they can partake in the merrymaking for which Mardi Gras is famous. Additional features to aid comprehension include activities and poetry, informative sidebars, a table of contents, a phonetic glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author and illustrator.
• Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras prize by Brittany Mazique – Delphine Denise lives in the Big Easy, and she likes things big. So when she finds out there’s a big prize for best float in the annual Mardi Grasparade, she has to win it. Unlike Delphine Denise, her friends don’t want to make a big float – they want to ride their bikes together, like they always do. In this New Orleans-based adventure, Delphine Denise has to decide what is more important: winning a big prize or having fun with friends.
• Phoebe Cakes the Bulldog : a Mardi Gras Tail by Michelle K. Dumont – Join Phoebe Cakes, a special needs bulldog, as she searches for a Mardi Gras parade just for dogs. Ring in carnival season with a “Twelfth Night” celebration ride on the historic St. Charles Avenue streetcar. Tour New Orleans neighborhoods and discover the spectacular house floats of Yardi Gras that began during the pandemic but are surely here to stay. Take time to savor all the King Cake flavors and just maybe you’ll find the baby! Don’t forget to yell, “Throw me something mister, Throw me something sister!” and catch beads and other “throws” at every parade around the city. When Fat Tuesday comes to an end, yell “amen”! We’ll do it all again … next year!