The Runaway Beignet: A Louisiana Folktale Adventure
This enchanting confectionary folktale follows a lonely baker in New Orleans who sprinkles magic sugar on a beignet, bringing it to life. The spirited little beignet boy escapes and leads a wild chase through the French Quarter, visiting famous Louisiana landmarks while evading hungry pursuers with his sassy refrain: "You're not gonna taste this little beignet!"
Story Highlights
The Runaway Beignet combines Louisiana's rich Cajun heritage with classic folktale storytelling. Young readers ages 4-8 will delight in following the beignet's adventure through New Orleans' iconic streets and sights. The wacky illustrations by award-winning artist Herb Leonhard bring the French Quarter to life, while the playful, repetitive refrain makes this story perfect for read-aloud sessions.
Educational Value
This hardcover book introduces children to Louisiana geography, New Orleans culture, and traditional folklore adaptation. The story celebrates Cajun heritage while teaching lessons about friendship, adventure, and consequences through an accessible narrative structure that engages early readers.
Perfect for Young Readers
Recommended for children ages 4-8, this juvenile fiction title works equally well for independent reading or family story time. The combination of humor, regional culture, and fairy tale elements creates a memorable reading experience that children will want to revisit again and again.
About the Creators
Connie Collins Morgan grew up minutes away from the magical bayous of Lafayette Parish in Louisiana. Her deep passion for the power of the written word led her to a degree in elementary education from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and then to an MFA in children's literature from Hollins University. She and her husband live in the mountains of West Virginia near their four children but far from her Cajun home. Her French heritage, however, remains always close at heart. Her first book with Pelican, The Runaway Beignet, was also a collaboration with illustrator Leonhard.
Herb Leonhard received a BFA in illustration from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. His award-winning work has appeared in D Magazine, among other publications. He is the illustrator of several other Pelican books, including St. Patrick and the Three Brave Mice, Way Out West on My Little Pony, A Southern Child's Garden of Verses, Leonardo's Monster, I Know a Librarian Who Chewed on a Word, A Is for Alliguitar: Musical Alphabeasts, and Southern Mother Goose. Leonhard lives in Prosser, Washington.
