PARADE

A mouse in the mood for a parade gathers quite a krewe.

“On a fine misty morning, a small little mouse / woke up in the garden by his little house.” He decides it’s a good day for a parade, so he ties flags (one blue with yellow stars, and the other purple, green, and gold) to his tail and sets out. A cool cat (he has a goatee) joins the parade rather than eat the mouse. Two dogs with a drum follow, too. Dancing squirrels, tambourine-playing raccoons, a pig in green heels, rats, egrets, gators, and many more tag along. “From the mouse to the donkey, it was so hard to see / which critter was feeling more fine—or more free.” Then they all stop for a drink in a fountain. Louisiana native Braud celebrates her home state’s tradition of parading at occasions festive, sad, or joyous. The verse is more than a bit clunky, and the language is bland (there is an overreliance on the word “little”), but her slightly anthropomorphized animals are well-enough rendered and obviously having a fine time.

More Louisiana details in illustration or tale would have made this more valuable, but it’s a passable paean to parading if such is needed.