Friday, April 30, 2010

Johnette Downing to appear on The Balancing Act for Lifetime Television

Johnette will appear on the national TV morning show The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV! Johnette’s segment will air on Tuesday, May 11, during the program which starts at 7am. Eastern/Pacific Time.

This Book Week, watch The Balancing Act on Lifetime every morning from 7 to 8 a.m. for a daily dose of great children's authors! The CBC has paired with the show to produce a week-long celebration of Children's Book Week. Monday to Friday, May 10 - 14, one author each day will appear on air to talk about their work, writing for children, and of course, Children's Book Week. Read on for the viewing guide!

Monday: Jon Scieszka, inaugural National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (Penguin and Simon & Schuster)
Tuesday: Johnette Downing (Pelican Publishing)
Wednesday: Barbara Bottner (Random House)
Thursday: Joi Nobisso (Gingerbread House)
Friday: Carol Nevius (Marshall Cavendish)

Set your DVR or visit the CBC website to find links to the segments!

TMD Celebrity News Reviews Today is Monday in Louisiana

Today Is Monday In Louisiana

Product Description
On Monday, there are red beans to eat, and on Tuesday, po-boys. On Wednesday, gumbo is served, and on it goes throughout the week, each day bringing another unique and tasty Louisiana dish to the table.

“Today Is Monday in Louisiana,” based on a song by New Orleans singer/songwriter Johnette Downing, rhythmically takes children through a culinary calendar, noting a meal a day that represents the best of Cajun, Creole, African, and French foods. Includes a glossary and a recipe for red beans and rice.

Read More at Amazon.com: Today Is Monday In Louisiana
TMD Celebrity News is Associated with Amazon.com
April 20, 2010
http://tmdcelebritynews.com/today-is-monday-in-louisiana/09844

3 Responses for “Today Is Monday In Louisiana”

Shu-chin Chen says:
April 30, 2010 at 9:01 am
Excellent book!! Even my 22-month-old daughter can read by herself, and she loves to read again and again everyday.Rating: 5 / 5

A. T. Stanga says:
April 30, 2010 at 9:55 am
awesome book! so true about how we eat here in southern louisiana! great pictures and easy for the kids to memorize!Rating: 5 / 5

Jenifer Kellystrauss says:
April 30, 2010 at 11:58 am
This is a fun book to read or sing a long to. Sometimes, we play Johnette’s CD, From the Gumbo Pot, and turn the pages to the song instead of reading words. My son loves this book and so do the kids in my Pre-K class! It exposes/teaches the children to so many things: great story, collage art as an illustrative tool, Louisiana culture, days of the week, rhythm…. My picky 2 1/2 year old has also become interested in trying some of these foods! So, I love it!Rating: 5 / 5

Monday, April 26, 2010

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Bugs book cover


Check it out! Here is the cover art for my upcoming book!!!


Sunday, April 18, 2010

Store Window of the Week


Congratulations to Blue Cypress Books on Oak Street in New Orleans, LA USA for being selected as the STORE WINDOW OF THE WEEK! You were caught with having the good taste to dress your store window with my Today is Monday in Louisiana book! Photographer Thom Bennett aka Spy snapped this photo of the store window earning him the esteemed position of being SPY OF THE WEEK for two weeks in a row! Way to go Thom!
If you see my books or CDs featured in any store window, snap a photo and send it to me! You and the store will be featured on my Blog and on Twitter! Spread the word!


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Mailbox - Letters from Fans and Friends

Dear Johnette:

I teach Pre-K at St. John Elementary in Lake Charles and you visited our students last year as part of the Banners Series. You were planning to do a certain show, but when we told you the kids know all of your LA books and songs you did your book show. You also signed all of your books for us. I have to tell you that we started our 4 week long Louisiana unit and I pulled your books out today. One of my children asked who "colored" in my book and I told them your story. They were so excited that I got to meet a "real" author (as they put it). Thank you so much for making books and reading come to life for young children. I appreciate your enthusiasm :)

-Katherine Yoes

Thanks Katherine! I appreciate your enthusiasm and kindness for writing such a nice note!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Store Window of the Week


Thom Bennett aka Spy just caught Peach's Records 408 North Peters St. New Orleans, LA USA with the good taste of displaying my Chef Creole and Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud books in their store window! Congratulations Thom Bennett for being the SPY OF THE WEEK and Peach's Records for being the STORE WINDOW OF THE WEEK!
Thom is a Southern photographer so check out his website at www.thombennettphotographs.com Thanks Thom for your keen spy eye!


Thursday, April 8, 2010

Beauregard Daily News Article

DERIDDER—The children of K.R. Hanchey Elementary were taught the richness Louisiana culture has to offer by singing and dancing with award winning author and musician Johnette Downing on Wednesday.

Downing is an author, singer, songwriter and musician performing music and presenting books about Louisiana. According to Downing she writes about what she knows, as she was born in Louisiana. Downing’s list of multiple awards include: six Parents’ Choice Awards, four iParenting Media Awards, two Parent’s Guide To Children’s Media Awards, four National Parenting Publications Awards, a Family Choice Award, a Family Review Center Award, an Imagination Award and a Haiku International Association Honorable Mention Award.
The books she performed for the students were ‘Today Is Monday In Louisiana’ which takes young readers through a culinary calendar describing a delicious Louisiana meal for each day of the week.

Another book she sang to the children was ‘Chef Creole’. In this book Downing presents a character Chef made entirely out of Louisiana cuisine, like boudin sausage arms.

“The students were very enthusiastic and knew my books and music already. So I know the teachers are using them in the classrooms and they were just a fabulous audience,” said Downing.

Every year the students at K.R. Hanchey have a Louisiana Culture program to help the students learn more about the state, according to K.R. Hanchey Principal Elizabeth Maricle.
“We had to book her a year in advance and we’ve been very, very excited about the prospect of her coming. We put on a Louisiana program every year and we use her books and songs so that’s how we knew of her and her music. So we thought what better way to promote our program than to have her come and actually sing and tell her stories,” said Maricle.

“It was so awesome. She is so active with her audience and with the kids. She really gets down to their level. We just enjoyed it tremendously. We have been honored to have her here at our school,” continued Maricle.

-By Billie Jo Rassat
Beauregard Daily News, DeRidder, LA

April 2010 Tour Schedule

April 1-5, North Carolina
April 11 at 11:00 & 3:00, Aquarium Stage, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, LA
April 15 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Educator Workshop, Family Guidance Center of Alabama, Montgomery, AL
April 16 at 9:00, Concert, Family Guidance Center of Alabama, Montgomery, AL
April 23 at 11:00, Family Friendly Fridays Concert Series, National Jazz Park, 916 N St. Peter, New Orleans, LA
April 23 at 12:00-1:00, Book Signing, Tisket A Tasket Book Shop, Decatur, New Orleans, LA
April 24 at 12:30, Concert, Kids Tent, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA
April 24 at 2:00, Book Signing, Book Tent, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA

Mailbox, Letters from Fans and Friends

Dear Johnette:

Moving and shaking and laughing! Now that is the way to start a week. Thank you for coming to Trinity to share your books and music with our students. We all learned a little more about Louisiana, its animals, and food.



Best,

Michelle McCarthy
Trinity Episcopal School

Monday, April 5, 2010

Accelerated Reader List

I am quite thrilled to announce that my Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud book has been selected for the ACCELERATED READER LIST!!! Please visit

http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=135220&l=EN&slid=95409860

for more details!

STORE WINDOW & DOOR OF THE WEEK!


Congratulations A Tisket, A Tasket Book Shop on Decatur Street in New Orleans, LA USA! You have been selected as the STORE WINDOW OF THE WEEK! You have been caught with having the superb taste of dressing your window with my My Aunt Came Back from Louisiana and Today is Monday in Louisiana books as well as dressing your door with my Today is Monday in Louisiana book.


Merci beaucoup!

Reader Views Reviews Today is Monday in Texas

Reader Views, Reviews, by kids for kids
Reviewed by Grayce Richardson (almost age 6) for Reader Views (03/10)
www.readerviewskids.com

Today is Monday in Texas by Johnette Downing, Illustrated by Deborah Ousley Kadair

Grayce: "I like that the illustrations are by the artist who did "Chef Creole." The illustrations are beautiful. It’s a creative book. Kids who are younger than me, like four-years-old, would like it too…and babies would like it as a singing song."

Parent’s Comments:
Days of the week are such a big part of children’s lives – helping them remember school days, vacation with parents and birthdays. "Today is Monday in Texas" by Johnette Downing is a delightful and original way to think of the days of the week. With "Chef Creole" gracing our shelves (the illustrator did both books), Grayce quickly recognized that the delightful depictions of children were original and in the form of mixed media (fabric, paper, drawing). The only improvement I would make is providing a music CD for parents who can’t read sheet music.