Jean Laffite and the Big Ol' Whale

by Frank G. Fox, Scott Cook (Illustrator)

A hero and a friendship born on the Mississippi
The legendary pirate and hero of the nineteenth century Jean Laffite is the main character in a tale as tall as can be. Young Jean knows about as much as a body can about the Mississippi River, so it's up to him to save the day when the river suddenly goes bone-dry down New Orleans way. A walk north reveals the problem: a whale has swum up the mighty river and gotten himself lodged between the banks. Ever resourceful, Jean manages to solve the problem with a mere pinch of cayenne pepper, making a friend for life at the same time.
Pairing a folksy narrative with pictures full of life, this original story is fun for the whole family.

Genres: Adventure, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Miss Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute tall tale. Works anywhere, but would have a particular resonance in New Orleans where they know what Lake Pontchartrain is.

The tall tale itself is really cute - would be a solid 5 stars - but the artwork is just not for me. The impressionistic style makes it hard to see the characters. With a story as over the top as this tall tale, I wanted the images to be just as bold, strong,and well defined as the character of Jean Laffite - instead of the soft pastels that we got. The artist is for sure talented, I just don't like the choice of style for this book.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigh. A story about Louisiana, by someone who now lives in SMTX like me.

This was a new Jean Laffite tale, there are so very many. Cute story, shows how to problem solve if you're a superhero, but I wasn't a fan of the illustrations.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very tall tale about the exploits of Jean Laffite as a child, and teenager, and how he saved a whale, that plugged up the flow of the Mississippi River, and later carved out Lake Pontchartrain.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a humorous tall tale about a colorful and talented character who saves the day when a whale gets stuck in the Mississippi River.

I was pleased to see that Jean wants to rescue and befriend the whale when some of the townspeople want to "blow him up."

Veg*n families note: Some references to fishing and eating fish.

[Délice · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual story apparently based on Louisiana lore? I'm unfamiliar with the history here but the story was cute and the illustrations unique. The Moral seemed to be along the lines of encouraging thinking outside the box to problem-solve?

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book represents good problem-solving skills, friendship, and being nice to animals.