Gaston, the Green-Nosed Alligator

Gaston, the intrepid green-nosed alligator from the bayou, ventures far and wide to satisfy his wanderlust. Gaston's creator, James Rice, has written and illustrated eight books featuring the friendly swamp creature.

Gaston's devoted fans have followed him since he led Santa's team of flying alligators through the bayou on Christmas Eve. Gaston the Green-Nosed Alligator and Cajun Night Before Christmas recount how Santa, through a series of disasters, comes to reside in the bayou. His aging, reindeer are too infirm to make their annual trek around the world, and Santa fears that Christmas may have to be postponed. But Gaston saves the day by training seven other alligators to fly. Together, they set a new record for speed and Christmas arrives on time.

Gaston proves his cleverness when he learns to read in Cajun Alphabet. His primer is filled with cajun vocabulary words defined in verse, and each letter of the alphabet is formed by contortions of Gaston and his alligator pals. The illustrations and verses combine in a delightful introduction to Cajun language and culture.

When Gaston visits his cousin Alphonse in New Orleans in Gaston Goes to Mardi Gras, he witnesses all the pageantry and glamour of Mardi Gras. He learns how the sponsoring organizations, called krewes, are formed and views the many exciting parades and balls.

Gaston has been busy in the oil industry, too. In Gaston Lays an Offshore Pipeline, he stows away on a barge loaded with pipe and finds himself in the Gulf of Mexico. The offshoremen quickly take advantage of this extra worker, and Gaston, outfitted in a hard hat and steel-toed boots, helps lay the pipeline.

Gaston Drills an Offshore Oil Well has Gaston looking for a good investment for his savings. The plucky gator investigates the possibilities and decides to drill an offshore oil well. As he prepares to drill, he learns about the different facets of oilfield technology.

When a hurricane hits the swamp, Gaston is hurled into Texas. Gaston Goes to Texas tells how Gaston dons a ten-gallon hat, spurs, and boots and accepts the challenge of cowboy life on the range. He tames mustangs, brands mavericks, ropes longhorns, and earns the respect of his fellow cowhands.

Along with his many other interests, Gaston is a music lover, and in Gaston Goes to Nashville, he and his friends take their songs and their dreams to the Grand Ole Opry. As their success grows, they cut their first record in Nashville and rub elbows with such greats as Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.

Gaston has been charming children and adults alike since 1973. James Rice, his creator, has been widely acclaimed as one of the nation's leading author/illustrators of juvenile fiction, with over 700,000 copies of his books in print. He received his M.F.A. degree from Stephen F. Austin College and has taught art at both the high school and college levels.