Johnette in Seoul, South Korea

Greetings from Seoul, South Korea!

I made it safely to Seoul, South Korea after a long journey. I slept for 14 hours straight after my arrival, and then had my first day of workshops with over 120 teachers and students. The teachers and students are very polite, welcoming and enthusiastic. I learned something about Korean people that I didn't know; they love to SING and they sing very well. What joy!

Sun-nam, my host, is delightful! We hit it off immediately! We will be traveling together all over Korea for the next 12 days.

I have enjoyed several delicious meals already. Korean food is a work of art!

So after my first full day of great food and great singers, you can imagine that I am having a blast!

More to come....

Mailbox - Letters from Fans and Friends

Hey, Johnette, just a note to say Happy New Year and a early happy birthday to you. Brooke will never forget all those times we went to see you. Thanks for helping us create such special memories.
Always,
J. Ragusa

Family Friendly Friday in the French Market with Johnette Downing - Children's Concert Series

The French Market Corporation and I are proud to announce the first Family Friendly Friday Concert Series in the French Market with Johnette Downing at the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park. The concert series will begin on January 8, 2010 at 11:00 and will take place every month in the year 2010!

This is an exciting opportunity for parents to bring their little ones to the French Market for live music and other special offers. A book signing at A Tisket A Tasket book shop follows each concert. Aunt Sally’s Candy Shop is offering free candy demos from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The series is free and open to individual families, play groups and school groups. Mark your calendars and make it a play date with friends. The National Jazz Historic Park is easily accessed by the French Market Parking Lot and the riverside streetcar stops #1-#23. Visit www.frenchmarket.org for maps and directions.

Here are the concert dates for 2010 (show times are 11:00 a.m.):

January 8
February 19
March 19
April 23
May 21
June 12
July 2
August 6
September 17
October 1
November 12
December 10

So mark your calendars and I'll see you there!

Special note - there was a typo in the local newspaper and online announcements about the January date. The actual date is January 8. Thanks.

Johnette On Tour In Korea!

I have had the honor of being invited to perform and give workshops in South Korea from January 8-23, 2010! I have been to Asia once when I was on vacation in Hong Kong, but this time I will be working with teachers and students in Seoul, Daejeon, Busan and Daegu, Korea. I am just thrilled! To make the trip more exciting, if that is possible, I will be spending my birthday there.

Featured Artist!

Hey Fans!

I am the "Featured Artist" this month on Kinderjam! Check it out at:

http://www.kinderjam.com/

Thanks Kinderjam. Rock on!

School Library Journal Review

Here is a great review my latest book received from School Library Journal:

DOWNING, Johnette. Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud. illus. by author. 32p. glossary. CIP.Pelican. 2009. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-58980-678-8. LC 2009003959.

PreS-Gr 2—An original pourquoi story from the Louisiana bayou that pits lazy Crawfish against his best friend. Crab has caught a beautiful fish for his dinner, but when he shows it to his hungry pal, Crawfish mocks it as "ti-tiny" and "itsy bitsy" and inveigles Crab into giving him his "insignificant" catch. Crab goes back to the lake to find the entirely imaginary huge fish that Crawfish says he saw there but returns empty-handed and angry. Confronted by Crab, Crawfish crawls backward and falls into a big pile of mud, where he can be found to this day, hiding from Crab. The story is illustrated with simple, brightly colored collages. A glossary of a few Cajun phrases and some facts about crawfish are included. A humorous choice for storytimes.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

School Library Journal, 1/1/2010

Happy New Year!

Dear Fans, Clients and Friends:

I hope your New Year is all that you wish it to be.

Johnette

Tour Schedule - January 2010

January 8 at 11:00, Family Friendly Fridays Concert Series, National Jazz Park, 916 N St. Peter, New Orleans, LA

January 8 at 12:00-1:00, Book Signing, Tisket A Tasket Book Shop, 1235 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA

January 8-23, Workshop and Concert Tour in Seoul, Daejeon, Busan and Daegu, Korea

Tour Schedule - January 2010

January 8 at 11:00, Family Friendly Fridays Concert Series, National Jazz Park, 916 N St. Peter, New Orleans, LA
January 8 at 12:00-1:00, Book Signing, Tisket A Tasket Book Shop, 1235 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA
January 8-23, Workshop and Concert Tour in Seoul, Daejeon, Busan and Daegu, Korea
January 30 from 11-1, Book Signing, Sams Club, Metairie, LA

Music for Montessori and Johnette Downing

Music for Montessori and Johnette Downing by Liz Hannan

Please check out Johnette Downing’s CD collection for great songs to use
in your Montessori circles. The melodies are delightful and her recordings are pure.
She always includes the lyrics on the jacket. Yeah!!!
Everyone will be able to sing along with ease.
You will discover that her songs connect with your units
and they are also great for part cards.
The language is rich and will expand everyone’s vocabulary.

I am excited to share with everyone how Johnette Downing has enriched my music circles in 11
Montessori schools within the San Francisco Bay Area.

BTW: I lined my tray with peel and stick felt.
This keeps the noise down as instruments get passed around the circle.

The first instrument I introduce for passing is the egg shaker.
It is the easiest for their small hands and it is a no fail manipulation.
I have it in a small, egg shaped box and present it as teachers present all
Montessori materials.

Heads up…I place the egg in the box but leave the lid on my work rug.
Otherwise each child will return the lid to the box and every other child has to remove it.
Great exercise for other circles but too much time for music since
I have other instruments I want to pass.

From her CD, Fins and Grins, we sing Johnette’s The Aquarium.
I shake the egg on the word, “strange”.
I do the first 3 verses and then pass the egg on my tray.
When it is returned to me we all sing the refrain one last time.

Johnette’s Circle of Life is classic for any unit on fish and/or the sea.
It includes graduated sizes of fish as well as the food chain.
The movements are fun and easy.
When the children have really learned the song well I
do the hand movements but do not sing the names of the fish.
The children love this challenge.

You must check out Johnette’s Second Line CD for songs with scarves.
The songs are easy, darling and great for movement.
I was so excited to do these songs.
I bought small, bright colored scarves which were great for floating.

Here is what happened to my circle.
Being Montessori children they all began to fold the scarves into squares and triangles.
I did not have the heart to stop that activity but it took the rest of my circle time.
Not to be out done and miss out on great songs…I changed to hands.
Ta Da !!! Hands up, 2-3-4-5-6-7 and 8. Hands down, 2-3-4-5-6-7- and 8. Etc.

Have fun with Johnette Downing in your Montessori schools.

Liz Hannan
Music for Montessori
Music Together
Children’s Music Network

The Big Read 2010 Selection!

BiG NeWs!!!

My book Today is Monday in Louisiana is one of three books for Lower School selected on the Recommended Reading list for the National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS) "Big Read" 2010!!! How cool is that???

Here is the review:

http://nola.ncgs.org/the-big-read-2010/

Today Is Monday in Louisiana by Johnette Downing
PreSchool-Grade 3 — A variation of a Louisiana song with a twist–each day a new food is served as a faceless assortment of children come one by one to the table. Eventually, there are seven, with seven different dishes in front of them, a cat and dog underneath the table waiting for scraps, and a grandmotherly figure overseeing everything.

Mailbox - Letters from Fans and Friends

Merci beaucoup Johnette.
On behalf of everyone at the French Consulate, thank you for a wonderful performance Saturday at our Fête des enfants. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed you and your unique talent- you really added something special to our program.
-Heidi

Music Monthly - December 2009: What is Jazz?

In researching a music activity to offer this month, I came across a wonderful website to teach children about Jazz. Since I’ll be performing at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park each month in 2010, I thought we should give children a little lesson in Jazz before we go to the Jazz Park. PBS Kids – Jazz is a great web site to do just that. There are so many interesting facts and fun activities for the children to do. Check it out at:
http://pbskids.org/jazz/index.html

"Read & Spin," New Orleans Magazine Review

My latest book Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud (Pelican Publishing) received a great review in the November Issue, "Read & Spin" column of New Orleans Magazine.


"Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud is an important study of Louisiana's most important crustacean. Yes, it's a story picture book and sure to be a hit with early readers. The tale of trickster Crawfish and hard-working Crab culminates with a valuable moral. Bonus: Mom and Dad could learn a lesson. Bonus No. 2: writer Johnette Downing's illustrations are collage-like and sure to spark some artistic endeavers by budding Romare Beardens."

-Alisha Murphy, Read & Spin, New Orleans Magazine, November 2009

Tour Schedule - December 2009

December 6 from 10:00-11:00, Book Signing, Sams Club, Metairie, LA
December 6 from 12:30-1:30, Book Signing, A Tisket A Tasket, French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
December 6 at 2:00 & 3:00, St. Nicholas Day Fair, Dutch Alley Performance Pavillion, Alley Off Decatur, New Orleans, LA
December 9-11, Washington DC
December 12 at 10:30, Grand Opening Concert, The Parenting Center, New Orleans, LA
December 12 from 2:00-4:00, Book Signing, Barnes & Noble, Baton Rouge, LA
December 19 from 7:00-8:30 p.m., Book Signing, Barnes & Noble, Harvey, LA
December 23-31, North Carolina

Happy Thanksgiving

I spent Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his son in the mountains of North Carolina, and it SNOWED! It was so funny because I was all bundled up and freezing while everyone else was romping around like it was summer.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am grateful for all of my fans, clients, friends and family. Many blessings to you all.

Mailbox - Letters from Fans and Friends

"Upon arrival this morning, one of the children walked by my CD's and tapes. She picked up your Second Line tape and ran to me and said, "Look this is HER!" She was sooo excited! You are a Pre-K rock star!!"

-Anne Mayeaux, Chateau Estates Elementary
Kenner, LA

The Daily Advertiser Mentions My Book

This brief mention about my Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud book appeared in The Daily Advertiser:

Another Louisiana author and children's musician Johnette Downing offers her take on why crawfish like to hide beneath the earth's surface in Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud, another Pelican title.

-Chere Cohen, The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette, LA, USA
November 1, 2009


Thanks for the mention Chere!

Tour Schedule - November 2009

November 3 from 3:15-4:00, Reading and Book Signing, Newman Book Fair, Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, LA
November 7 from 10:00-12:00, Book Signing, Sams Club, Harvey, LA
November 7 from 2:00-4:00, Book Signing, Sams Club, Kenner, LA
November 14 at 12:30 & 2:30, Three Rivers Art Festival, Childrens Village, Downtown Covington, LA
November 21-30, North Carolina

Fun Filled Weekend

What a fun weekend! I performed six shows in two days. My weekend concerts began on October 23, 2009 with two shows at the Washington Parish Fair. As always, the children came out ready to jam with me and we danced and grooved all afternoon. Then I drove back to New Orleans for a night time performance at Boo at the Zoo. The children and parents put down their trick or treat bags and joined me for a RIP-roaring time of slightly spooky songs.

On October 24, 2009 I had three more shows beginning at Monster Mash in Covington. I have included some photos of my performance there sent to me by a friend/fan named Chantel. In one photo, Jordan and the other children make-believe they are butterflies while I performed my new "Mariposa" song.

Next was an afternoon performance at the Buddy Walk as part of the National Down Syndrome Association. Talk about a blast! Everyone got into the groove even a high school girls basketball team! Now that's hip!

The weekend ended with another night performance at Boo at the Zoo. We howled, jumped, jiggled, wiggled, danced, sang and shivered to more slightly spooky, mostly silly songs!

One more weekend of Halloween performances to come. I'll be in Abbeville, La at Scare on the Square at 5:00 on Halloween night, October 31, 2009. Be there....if you DARE!!!

Mailbox - Letters from Fans and Friends

My girls (7 & 3) saw you when you were in Wilmington last February & LOVE your music - your Fins & Grins CD has been our 'most frequently purchased' for gifts as of late! We are studying Brazil right now in school & we've looked up all of your Amazon ABC animals, but I can't seem to find what a "quesan" is... can you help me out? Thanks so much!

-Kati, Wilmington, NC

To answer your question Kati, a queztal is a beautiful bird. It is the official bird of Costa Rica.

Tour Dates - October 2009

October 1-11, North Carolina
October 14 from 7:00-8:30, Educator Night, Barnes & Noble, Mandeville, LA
October 17 from 10:00-10:45, Book Talk, State Library Seminar Center, Louisiana Book Festival, State Library, Downtown Baton Rouge, LA
November 17 from 11:00-11:30, Concert, Storytelling Tent, Louisiana Book Festival, State Library, Baton Rouge, LA
November 17 from 11:45-12:30, Book Signing, Barnes & Noble Tent, Louisiana Book Festival, Downtown Baton Rouge, LA
November 17 from 12:45-1:45, Book Signing, Pelican Publishing Booth, Louisiana Book Festival, Downtown Baton Rouge, LA
October 23 at 2:00 & 3:00, Children's Stage, Washington Parish Fair, Franklinton, LA
October 23 at 7:00 p.m., Boo at the Zoo, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA
October 24 at 10:30, Monster Mash, Bogue Falaya Park, Covington, LA
October 24 at 2:45, Buddy Walk, Zephyr Stadium, Metairie, LA
October 24 at 8:00 p.m., Boo at the Zoo, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA
October 31 from 12:00-2:00, Book Signing, Barnes & Noble, Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA
October 31 at 5:00, Scare on the Square, Downtown Abbeville, LA

Mailbox - Letters from Fans and Friends

Hi Johnette!!!

We are so grateful for the WONDERFUL music you have created!!!!!!! My students love so many of your songs. Below is the link to the page that shares with our parents the music KinderJam LOVES!!!

http://www.kinderjam.com/musicwelove.html

Thanks so much for the message and information! Today my students and parents JAMMED to your "Rhythm in the Scarves" and had a blast!!!!!

Thanks a Million!!!

El Brown

www.kinderjam.com

NWI Parent picks Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud as a "Kids Pick"

KIDS PICK

AGES 6 TO 8

Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud
by Johnette Downing (Pelican Publishing, $15.95)

Author Johnette Downing does double duty for this clever story about what happens one very hot and humid day on the bayou to a hungry and lazy crawfish. With the author providing her own clever illustrations, as the story unfolds, there’s also a generous seasoning of Cajun phrases and fun crawfish facts. Filled with lessons to be learned and other fun characters like a dedicated crab, this book is swimming with fun for young readers. It’s available in stores or at pelicanpub.com.

-Philip Potempa,

NWI Parent, Northwest Times of Indiana

Kirkus Digs Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud!

Downing, Johnette

WHY THE CRAWFISH LIVES IN THE MUD

Illus. by the author

In this original pourquoi tale, hungry Crawfish spies the fish that Crab has just caught for his dinner. Wily Crawfish convinces Crab that the fish is much too small for him, goading him into relinquishing his catch into Crawfish’s clutches and scuttling further down the bayou in search of a bigger challenge. Contrary to Crawfish’s story, Crab finds no big fish in the bayou. He threatens to throw Crawfish into the mud, and Crawfish protests so much that it seems this is heading straight into Br’er Rabbit territory. It turns out Crawfish’s protests are genuine, though. As he tries to back away from Crab he accidentally digs a tunnel in the mud and falls into it, where he will live from now on. A serviceable trickster tale jazzed up with Cajun French phrases defined both in the text and in a glossary.... (Crawfish Fun Facts) (Picture book. 4-8)

-Kirkus Reviews