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Praise for The Night Before Christmas Series:
"The hilarious story of one of St. Nick's alligators who was left behind after the toys were delivered one Christmas Eve."
-ForeWord
"Fans of James Rice's illustrations, done in pen and ink with watercolor, will probably want to add this one to their collections."
-Children's Literature Comprehensive Database
It's the day after Christmas, and Boudreau's children are noisily playing with their new Christmas toys. His head hurts, and he needs to get away for some peace and quiet. As he drifts down the bayou in the moonlight, Boudreau spies Pierre, a fat alligator accidentally left behind by St. Nicholas! Boudreau offers to take the good-humored alligator home as a pet, but will St. Nick ever come back for his lost gator? And what will his children think?
After a Christmas filled with children, a dog, grandparents, neighbors, chaos, and laughter, sisters Jenny Jackson Moss and Amy Jackson Dixon felt inspired to write this book. Moss lives in South Carolina. Dixon, the illustrator of Pelican's Who's That Tripping over My Bridge?, resides in Colorado.
James Rice (1934-2004), in his long, distinguished career as an author and illustrator, produced more than sixty children's books, among them several additions to The Night Before Christmas Series. Cajun Night Before Christmasï¿1/2, Rice's first book, has been nationally recognized as a classic in its genre. Rice taught art and music at both high school and college levels and loved teaching children the joys of writing and illustrating. With more than 2.5 million copies of his books in print, Rice ranks among the nation's best-selling creators of children's books, having received awards from Printer Industries of America and the Children's Book Council.
About the author
Everyone knows what happens the night before Christmas, but what about the night after? Jenny Jackson Moss, along with coauthor Amy Dixon, sets the record straight in Cajun Night After Christmas, illustrated by James Rice. Born in New Orleans and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, Moss attended Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. After finishing at Newcomb, Moss worked for two years as a social worker for Louisiana State University in the medical school's pediatric genetics department. She then returned to graduate school, earning her master's degree in early childhood education with an extra degree in special education. Soon, however, Moss decided that a career change was in order. After meeting her husband, a Tulane graduate and medical student, she married and had three children. While her husband, Charley, continued with his residency, she became increasingly interested in art. Her husband set up a urology practice in Lafayette, and the family moved to their new home, where they remained for eight years. During this time, Moss began entertaining the idea of writing and illustrating children's books. In addition to writing, Moss continues to pursue a career in painting, designing inspirational pottery under the name the Mustard Seed. She lives in Sumter, South Carolina, with her husband and three children, Meredith, Andrew, and Miller.
