Why The Crawfish Lives in the Mud - Review

Here is another advance review for my upcoming book Why The Crawfish Lives in The Mud:

Move over Anansi, the Spider!! You have competition from trickster Crawfish in a delightful story, visually appealing and rich in text, focusing on animal life in the Bayou between a crab and a crawfish. Crawfish Fun Facts add a nice touch for the reader to gain knowledge about crawfish.

- Nancy O'Connell, Children's Services Librarian, Schaumburg Library, IL

Chef Creole a Big Hit in Our Class.

Here is a letter I received from a teacher and friend at Isidore Newman School. I'll try to upload the image. It is just too cute.

Johnette,
Here is a picture drawn by one of our kids. Chef Creole is a big hit in our class, and is actually one of the few things that will come them down when they get wild in the room! The children break out into song periodically during centers, and the parents have even commented that they are hearing it at home.

Keep up the great work!

Holly Dalferes
Pre-K 3 - Forest Class
Isidore Newman School

Publishers Weekly

My upcoming book Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud has already gained the attention of Publishers Weekly. Here is the blurb they recently issued:

Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud by Johnette Downing, a southern-flavored fable. 

-Publishers Weekly, Fall 2009 Preview

New Book Coming Out - Fall 2009

I am thrilled to announce that I have a new book coming out this Fall 2009 titled Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud published by Pelican Publishing. I am the author and illustrator of this original trickster/origin tale. Here is more information about the book:

A long time ago, when Crab and Crawfish were still best friends, Crawfish was feeling particularly lazy––and particularly hungry—as he loafed around the muggy bayou. When Crab arrived with a fish, Crawfish took one listen to his empty belly and decided to trick his good-natured friend.

After Crab realizes Crawfish has made a fool of him again, he isn’t happy, and before he knows it, Crawfish gets exactly what he deserves. A charming tale cautioning children about the consequences of cheating your friends, this colorful picture book from the critically acclaimed Johnette Downing will delight readers of all ages with its timeless and gentle lesson about integrity.

Lively collage-style illustrations, a glossary of Cajun words and phrases, including entries such as “cher” (dear or friend) and “beaucoup” (much), and a list of crawfish “fun facts” make this book an irresistible read.

Johnette Downing is an award-winning, internationally recognized singer/songwriter who performs original children’s music inspired by her Louisiana heritage. Her many accolades include six Parents’ Choice Awards, three iParenting Media Awards, an Imagination Award, among others. She is the author of Pelican’s Chef Creole, Down in Louisiana, Today Is Monday in Louisiana, and My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane, which she also illustrated.

North Carolina Tour A Big Success

Today is my last day in North Carolina after a very successful tour here. My educator workshop and keynote at the Cape Fear AEYC Conference in Wilmington was so much fun. I met so many talented teachers who attended my workshop; so talented in fact that I asked them to participate in the keynote with me. I ended the keynote with a Second Line parade led by teacher who was a former New Orleans area resident. The Second Line was my tribute to Mardi Gras.  

During the conference, I met a very nice children's musician named David Kiser from Kentucky and we were able to have dinner together and talk about children's music. We were served the largest creme brule I have ever seen! Yummy!

After the conference, I sped over to the Wilmington Library for a standing-room-only crowd concert! Wow! Margaret, the children's librarian, and I were shocked at the attendance. They ran out of chairs. Unfortunately, we had microphone malfunctions, but at least my voice could be heard and the enthusiastic audience didn't seem to mind  or notice one bit! 

Next came my concerts at the High Point Library in High Point, NC. Jim, Abigail and the children's services staff are always a delight with which to work. Though the microphones were not working there either, we made the best of it and, again, the audience didn't seem to mind one bit. Go North Carolina fans!!

After High Point, I traveled to Asheville, NC for some rest and relaxation in the mountain home of a friend. It snowed three days while in the mountains and I was able to run outside in the freezing weather long enough to make and throw a few snowballs. Too much fun!

Now, I head back to New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day. I'll be home for only a few days before I head back on the road for a twenty day tour in the Middle East (Oman, Bahrain and UAE). Frequent flyers miles indeed!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras friends and fans! I will miss it this year because I will be on tour in North Carolina, but I will be bringing Carnival with me wherever I go!

I hope to see all my North Carolina fans at the shows! See my schedule below.

The Advocate Review

Two new, easy-to-read books with food theme available for children
By CHERAMIE SONNIER, Food writer
The Advocate
Published: Jan 29, 2009

More publishers have started offering easy-to-read books with a food theme for young children.Pelican Publishing Co., of Gretna, has two new, colorful, fiction picture books with Louisiana food themes that small children will enjoy. Each costs $15.95.“The Cajun Cornbread Boy” by Dianne de Las Casas and illustrated by Marita Gentry, is an adaption of “The Gingerbread Boy” folktale. The book is about an old Cajun woman who more than anything wants a child and decides to make a cornbread boy. She adds a big dash of cayenne pepper to the batter. The boy runs away and soon has encounters with a raccoon, a fox and an alligator. The story has a surprise ending, and the book closes with a recipe for Southern Cornbread. A glossary of French terms used in the book is included.

For the second book, “Chef Creole,” Louisiana singer and songwriter Johnette Downing has adapted a traditional song, “Aiken Drum.” The book is illustrated by Deborah Ousley Kadair. Chef Creole is a man from New Orleans whose hair is made of rice, his eyes of red beans, his nose of okra, and his mouth, a praline. He plays upon a ladle and sings of Louisiana food. The book includes a glossary of the Louisiana foods mentioned in the “Chef Creole” song, and it ends with the written music.

Tour Schedule - February 2009

Here is my public performance tour schedule for February. School and private events are not listed. I hope to see you when I am in your area!

February 14 at 8:30, Educator Workshop, Cape Fear AEYC, Castle Hayne, NC
February 14 at 12:00, Keynote Speaker and Educator Workshop, Cape Fear AEYC, Castle Hayne, NC
February 14 at 4:00, New Hanover County Public Library, Wilmington, NC
February 19 at 3:00 & 7:00, High Point Library, High Point, NC
February 25 from 10:00-2:00, Book Signing, Hudson News Store, New Orleans International Airport, Kenner, LA
February 28, Middle East Performance Tour, Oman

Music Monthly - January 2009

Make Music a Goal in 2009!

The New Year is always a great time to set goals, make a plan of action and accomplish something new. Consider making music one of your goals for 2009. Here are some suggestions:

1) Attend at least one live concert per month.
2) Tithe a percentage of your income to a music school, group or organization.
3) Create a weekly or monthly family music night.
4) Learn to play a musical instrument.
5) Practice playing a musical instrument once a day, week or month.
6) Support local radio programs, record stores, musicians and music venues.
7) Attend music festivals regularly.
8) Buy season tickets to the opera, symphony or a concert series.
9) Enroll your child in weekly music classes.
10) Support musicians by purchasing or downloading original copies of their work instead of sharing unauthorized burned copies of their music.
11) Sing in the shower, in the car and in and around your home every day.
12) Expand your musical horizons by exploring various genres of music each month.
13) Share the gift of music with your children.

Johnette Downing Knows Kids

Here is a great book review for My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane:


By The Independent Staff
Wednesday, January 07, 2009

FOR THE KIDS

Johnette Downing knows kids, and she knows what they like. For 13 years she taught kids music at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. As a musician and songwriter, she’s produced seven CDs of original children’s music, and she’s also the author of four children’s books, all of which focus on Louisiana’s culture. In her book My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane, Downing adapts a traditional tune and takes young readers on a rhyming tour of Louisiana’s traditions throughout the state, with stops in Lafayette, Mamou and Evangeline. My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane retails for $15.95 and is available locally at Barnes & Noble. For more info, visit http://www.johnettedowning.com/. ­— R. Reese Fuller

Thanks Reese! You know books!!!

The Fan Faves Votes are In!

The results of the Fan Faves poll are in and fans have selected "From the Gumbo Pot" as their favorite CD and Today is Monday in Louisiana as their favorite book. Thanks to all the fans who participated in the poll.

Chef Creole Book Release!

My latest book titled Chef Creole, illustrated by Deborah Ousley Kadair (Pelican Publishing Company) has been released! In this colorful and interactive storybook, children of all ages are invited to piece together Louisiana's favorite foods to create the tastiest man ever, Chef Creole. To the tune of "Aiken Drum," Chef Creole dances on the page and plays his ladle like a guitar. With arms of boudin and eyes of red beans, he encompasses all of the Pelican State's most famous flavors. Deborah Ousley Kadair's collage illustrations make it easy for children to identify the classic Louisiana fare. The book also includes a glossary of many of the featured foods and terms, from French bread to okra, and the history of the dishes such as red beans and rice.

Pick up your autographed copies of the book at a book signing on January 3, 2009 from 11:00-1:00 at the Hudson News Store in the New Orleans-Louis Armstrong International airport.

This book cooks!

Music Monthly - December 2008

Light

Light is a common theme in cultural and religious celebrations this month. Here is a traditional song about light. For more information about this song, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Little_Light_of_Mine

This Little Light Of Mine

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Every where I go, I'm going to let it shine....
In my neighborhood, I'm going to let it shine....
In my family, I'm going to let it shine

Music Monthly - November 2008

Instrument Families

Did you know that musical instruments are categorized by “families?” Well, they are! There are four basic families; string, woodwind, brass and percussion. Instruments are placed in these families because they share certain characteristics such as how they make their sounds, how they are made and what materials are used to make them. Let’s start with the percussion family this month. Percussion instruments are those that are struck, shaken or scraped with or without mallets. Now let’s test you percussion instrument savvy with a little game:

1. List one percussion instrument that is shaken: --------------------------
2. List one percussion instrument that is scraped: --------------------------
3. List one percussion instrument that is struck with a mallet: --------------------
4. List one percussion instrument that is struck without a mallet: -----------------

See a list of possible answers below.


1. Tambourine, maracas or bells
2. Guiro or sand blocks
3. Drum, gonog, wood block, glockenspiel or xylophone
4. Drum such as a conga or bongo, cymblas, piano or harp

Snow in South Louisiana?

It snowed in South Louisiana last week! No, this is not a misprint! It actually snowed. Of course, I was on tour in North Louisiana at the time and missed the entire four hours of snow, though I did see photographs and I had to drive in the icy and snowy conditions from North Louisiana through Mississippi to South Louisiana. The hardest part of it all was that we don't know how to drive in ice and snow, so the roads were a hazard. I arrived home safely, but all the snow was gone. Now, when everyone says, "Remember when it snowed," I can only say "not really." The silver lining to this story is that my performances in Oak Grove were so much fun and I had a great time with all the children.

Kids Music that Rocks

Thanks Kids Music that Rocks for mentioning me on your Blog! You rock!


A View From The Inside: Kids' Musicians Who Blog
By Warren Truitt(Warren Truitt)

I've always loved reading about the day-to-day lives of rockers, not necessarily how many tv sets they've thrown out various hotel windows, but normal stuff like working in the studio or playing in front of a rabid crowd.The kids' music world is building up a pretty good list of musicians who blog about their experiences, from Yosi Levin's interview-rich Indie Kids Rock, to Monty Harper's neverending pro-library tour at Monty's Children's Music Blog, from Johnette Downing's look at the business side of kids' music on her self-titled Johnette Downing blog, to Steve Dreher's musings on music and parenthood at Rockin' the Kids' Music World, to Eric Herman's reviews and interviews on Cool Tunes for Kids and his tour diary at Travelblogue.

Kids' Music that Rocks - http://kidsmusicthatrocks.blogspot.com/

5 Star Rating from TD Monthly Music Expert!

TDmonthly’s Music Expert
She’ll Tell You Which Albums Hit the Right Notes
By Anna Bendorf December 2008

If you want to know which children’s CDs may be worth carrying in your store, see what TDmonthly’s Music Expert has to say. Each month, she listens to music from various publishers and rates each album with from 1 to 5 TD (for TDmonthly!) stars — 5 is the highest rating. She was blown away by the musicianship, lyrics and creativity found in the following albums:

Dixieland Jazz for Children by WIGGLE WORM RECORDS
Age: 4 to 8
Gender: Boys and Girls
MSRP: $15.99
TDmonthly rating: ***** Five Star

My Impressions:

These musicians know Dixieland jazz style and have produced a really fun CD for kids! At the very beginning of the CD, the lead singer gives a brief story about when and where Dixieland jazz originated. In addition, they introduce each instrument on the CD, one by one, so that kids can hear the difference in the sound. As a music educator, I love how the musicians have put this one together.

Kid's Perspective:

One of the great things about this CD is that it is truly not age-specific. Many CDs on the market are targeted at a very small age group, and your child can only enjoy them for a couple years at most. At age 2, my daughter thinks this CD is really fun to dance to, but I know she will be able to continue listening to it for years to come.

My Recommendation:

As a musician and a mom, I give this CD a very high rating! The musicians are very good and this music is easy for all ages to enjoy. As a side note, my husband and I thought the last song, "Someday Your Dreams," was very pretty and even romantic.

Thanks Anna! You hit the right notes with us too!

December 2008 Tour Schedule

December 5, School Performance Tour, Westtown, PA
December 7 from 11:00-12:30, Book signing, Grand Opening, Borders Books and Music, New Orleans, LA
December 10 at 9:00 & 1:00, Fiske Theatre, Oak Grove, LA
December 11 at 9:00 & 1:00, West Carroll Parish Library, Oak Grove, LA
December 13 from 10:00-12:00, Book Signing, Rouses #14, Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA
December 13 from 1:00-3:00, Book Signing, Rouses #33, Power Blvd, Metairie, LA
December 20 from 10:00-12:00, Book Signing, Rouses #20, Hwy 190, Covington, LA
December 20 from 1:00-3:00, Book Signing Rouses #31, Park Place Dr., Covington, LA

de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg recently sent a letter saying they received 650 titles from publishers this year and My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane was a favorite among many of their visitors.

Thanks USM for the nice letter and for sharing my book with your visitors!!!

Another Catchy Book Review!

Here is another review for my book My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane:


"My Aunt Came Back From Louisiane by Johnette Downing is another catchy book from the singer/songwriter."

— KATC.com, Lafayette, LA USA

Grammy Deadline

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline to vote for the first round of the 51st Grammy Awards for Best Musical Album for Children is November 5.

Wish us luck in making it to the Nomination Round!

We're getting children jazzed about Jazz with our historic Dixieland Jazz for Children recording!

Tour Schedule - November 2008

November 12 at 9:30, Gibson Library, Gibson, LA
November 14 at 11:00, Educator Workshop, NELA Family Literacy Conference, Monroe, LA
November 15 at 10:30 & 2:00, Children's Stage, Three Rivers Arts Festival, Downtown Covington, LA
November 24 at 2:45, Educator Workshop, 2008 Lutheran Teachers Conference, Atonement Lutheran School, New Orleans, LA

Music Monthly - October 2008

This month's Music Monthly is all about making musical transitions in the classroom.

Making transitions from one activity to another in school is often when children lose focus, become distracted and perhaps even get into mischief. Valuable learning time is lost each day during transition times as the educator finds himself or herself in the position of redirecting student’s attention between tasks.

Music is an excellent way to make transitions run smoothly and efficiently. I challenge you to sing, sing, sing (no matter how you think you sound). Sing everything from "Good morning, good morning, good morning to you" to "Line up, line up, everyone line up" to "Pack up, pack up, everyone pack up" to “Math time, math time, everyone it’s math time.” You can even sing “get out your math books and turn to page 10” or any number of instructions. Any melody will do. Try singing high and low, fast and slow and soft and loud depending upon the mood you wish to create or the speed with which you wish the transition to take place.

I have found that if I use the same melody for all of my transitions, the students will, upon hearing the melody, automatically make the transition as self-directed learners. You will be amazed how well children listen to singing and how quickly they will join in the song. You will transform your class during transition times.

51st Grammy Awards

We are thrilled to announce that our new CD Dixieland Jazz for Children is listed on the first round of the 51st Grammy Awards ballot. This round determines which recordings move on to the Grammy Nominee round. We are listed on this first ballot as:

Field 18 Children's
Category 77 Children's Music Album
#021 Dixieland Jazz for Children, Johnette Downing and Jimmy LaRocca's Original Dixieland Jazz Band

We are deeply grateful to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for this wonderful honor of being selected in this first round.

Wish us luck in moving on to the Nominee round!!!

CityBusiness 2008 Women of the Year

CityBusiness announces 2008 Women of the Year honorees

NEW ORLEANS — CityBusiness has announced its Women of the Year Class of 2008.
The 10th annual event honors 50 women whose success in business and contributions to the community set the pace in our region. This year’s honorees are innovative leaders with energy, ideas, achievements and a commitment to excellence.

Honorees will be recognized at a noon luncheon Nov. 21 at the Sheraton hotel on Canal Street where an overall Woman of the Year will be announced. A Women of the Year insert spotlighting all honorees will run in the Nov. 24 issue of CityBusiness.


The 2008 honorees:

- Jackie Alexander
- Heather Alleman
- Sandra Andrieu
- Therese Badon
- Jesyka Bartlett
- Lauren Baum
- Penny Baumer
- Dottie Belletto
- C. Lynn Besch
- Julia Bland
- Kim Boyle
- Cindy Brennan
- Christine Briede
- Debbie Brockley
- Nancy Cassagne
- Jackie Clarkson
- Michelle Craig
- Bernie Cullen
- Beth Dannewald
- Nancy Scott Degan
- Dell Dempsey
- Johnette Downing
- Patti Ellish
- Cathi Fontenot
- Lisa Futrell
- Jocelyn Greely
- Samantha Griffin
- Jayne Gurtler
- Kristine Hatfield
- Donna Klein
- Priscilla Lawrence
- Deborah Lea
- Nancy Marshall
- Anne Milling
- Cheryl Mintz
- Beverly Nichols
- Michelle Nugent
- Beth Payton
- Tara Richard
- Jade Russell
- Elizabeth Scheer
- Rachael Schorr
- Laura Held
- Stacy Seamon
- Pamela Senatore
- Kristin Shannon
- Jessica Soileau
- Carol Solomon
- Charlee Williamson
- Rachel Wisdom
- Ellen Zakris•