Johnette Downing's Book Selected to Represent Louisiana at National Book Festival

Johnette Downing’s Book Selected to Represent Louisiana at National Book Festival

Author and professional storyteller Johnette Downing’s book Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud has been selected to represent the state of Louisiana at this year’s National Book Festival, which is held in the fall on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Each year, a popular feature of the Festival is a free USA map given to attendees. When people enter the Pavilion of the States, organized by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, they may pick up a map and have it stamped or stickered at a table for each state within the Pavilion. Every state’s Center for the Book is asked to recommend one book title and author to represent its state. That list of books appears on the back of the map. There is only one title on the list from each state, a work of either fiction or non-fiction, a book about the state or by an author from the state.

The selection committee of the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana chose Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud as the book that will represent the state of Louisiana and its literature for youth so well. Congratulations to Johnette Downing!