Review published as a special to Florida Weekly 12/06/07

"A Bayou Christmas Tale" tells the Southern version

Christmas is the time of year that draws a more distinct line of what it's like to live in the North with Santa, elves and lots of snow, in contrast to here in the land of palm trees and white sand. Some people "down" South feel cheated or disconnected from the holiday that features reindeers pulling a sleigh through a blizzard. This of course can lead to mistakes in judgment; such as traveling up to the frigid cold in order to experience the Santa story.

If you'd like to cozy up with a Southern Christmas story, try "A Bayou Christmas Tale" by Alva's Robert A. Andrys. It's a delightful story of Santa's brother, Leroy Claus, and his magical flying alligators, who transform a father's tall tale into a wide-eyed adventure for young Bob Smallwood.

This wonderful Children's book gives a fresh look at what it is like to live in the South and celebrate the holidays in a different way; where presents are delivered by 'gators. Also, learn about Amrad, the wise old man of the swamp, and like all good tales, it shows that dreams do come true.

Christmas with Leroy Clause comes to life in this brilliantly illustrated 28-page children's book, destined to be become a bedtime favorite this holiday season.

Andrys wrote a poem in his 1995 Christmas letter that tried to explain to his family up North what it was like to have a Southern Christmas. Two years later he embellished the poem to make it storylike. His friends suggested that he continue to expand the poem and from it, a children's book emerged. Sitting next to his creek writing the story, Andrys sought to create a character that was similar to the Christmas Santa story but reflected a cast more pertinent to the swamps of south Florida.

The essence of the story is not only to convey a Southern Christmas story but just as importantly to tell the tale with a reflection of what a magical place a swamp really is. How vibrant and alive, how full of life with creatures most of us have never seen or heard. The vast wind whipped snow drifts of the North Pole are counter balanced with the intimacy of the wetlands. The verbosity of life in the wet habitats are in contrast to the fragile nature of this ecosystem. The seemingly endless supply of living things can so quickly be shatter by a change in the water supply or its quality. This is what the author wanted to also bring forth in this and future children's books. To tell a story in the very heart of the wetlands where all this seemingly chaotic orchestra of life takes place and merely say we need to love this place, the swamp, as much as the places that people are more familiar with.

"A Bayou Christmas Tale" can be purchased at select local book stores, or ordered from Gator Scales Publishing, 23031 Tuckahoe Rd., Alva, Fla. 33920.