New Year, New Book, New Program!

New Year, New Book, New Program.

2021 is finally here, and with it the hope of better things to come. January is my power month because it is my birthday month, and the time of year I feel the most energized and focused. On January 1st, I write my goals and mantras, get organized, and make plans for creative projects and adventures for the year. Since we may be home for at least half of this year, I have decided to take online Spanish and ukulele classes. If I can come out of this year speaking Spanish and playing ukulele more fluently, the time will have been well spent. What are your plans this year? What are your mantras? It is a great time to set some goals and make a plan for a joyful year ahead. Here's to a new year, to bright beginnings, and to making children smile. 

New Book!

Last week, I signed a contract with Pelican Publishing for a new board book titled Five Little Possums that I illustrated, and adapted from the song “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree.” I illustrated the book with felt collage because I like the soft quality of the material for a baby book. The resulting images make the possums warm and cuddly even if they are little bullies at first in the story. Find out what happens to possums who tease an alligator in this “singable” story for little ones. Here is a sneak peek at one of the feisty possums.
The song for this book is on my “Silly Sing Along” CD. Listen here!

This school year, join me “in my living room” as I offer two types of "Boogie on the Bayou" virtual programs; 1) pre-recorded, and 2) virtual live. 

I will sing several of my popular songs, sing select “singable” books, and talk about my passion for sharing Louisiana culture with children in the United States and abroad. Both virtual programs are perfectly suited for distance learning for pre-kindergarten to third grade audiences, and run approximately 30 minutes each. Some of the songs featured in the program are from my "Swamp Romp" album, illustrated by Heather Stanley. 

The pre-recorded program is available on my private viewing platform. 

The virtual live (real-time) face-to-face program is available on Zoom and is limited to 99 participants.

Theme: Louisiana culture

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Celebrate Mardi Gras!

It is king cake season in New Orleans in celebration of Mardi Gras on February 17, 2021! This year, Mardi Gras is officially cancelled, but king cake is not. Find out who got the baby in the king cake in this Carnival book. It just might be YOU! 

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Buy the Tune!

Memories

Yes, that is Chef John Folse and me when I performed on his television cooking show in 2013 on Louisiana Public Broadcasting in Baton Rouge. He was making a gumbo that day, and asked that I sing my songs "Gumbo Pot" and "Today is Monday in Louisiana." After the live taping, we sat down together to share a bowl of gumbo with his staff and invited guests. It is a great memory with a Louisiana treasure!

Thank you for letting me share joy with your children! - Johnette

New Board Book Contract Signed!

Yesterday, I signed a contract with Pelican Publishing for a new board book titled Five Little Possums that I illustrated, and adapted from the song “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree.”. I decided to illustrate the book with felt because I like the soft quality of the material for a baby book. The resulting images make the possums warm and cuddling even if they are little bullies at first in the story. Find out what happens to possums who tease an alligator in this “singable” story for little ones. The song for this book is on my “Silly Sing Along” CD. Listen here!

Louisiana Christmas Eve Tradition

Every year (except this year due to Covid), families and friends join together to build giant bonfires made of logs on top of the earthen levee along the Mississippi River in the River Parishes of Louisiana (St. James, St. John the Baptist, and St. Charles, as well as Ascension). Then on Christmas Eve at 7:00 PM, the bonfires are set ablaze to guide Papa Noel, the Cajun Santa Claus, as he makes his way down the river to deliver gifts to Louisiana children. Firework displays also light the sky to make the holiday event extra special.

Scott and I were invited to participate in this annual event by our friend Keri Walker Tramonte. She and the females in her family are a rare all-female bonfire builder group. We joined Keri and her family for pot-luck dinner and bonfire lighting. The experience will stay with Scott and me forever. In fact, I was so moved, that I wrote a picture book about it - Bonfires on the Levee, a Louisiana Christmas Tradition. I hope you enjoy this book trailer, and perhaps next year, you may head out to the River Parishes to enjoy the event with your family.

To celebrate this Louisiana tradition, I have created a two book gift set that celebrates Christmas Eve with the bonfires on the Mississippi River levee, and New Year’s Eve with the filling of treats in the shoes of good children by Mademoiselle Grands Doigts. But, wait, there’s more! For a limited time, this gift set comes with a free “Reading Rocks!” CD filled with readings of some of my other other books to create a bedtime story treat over two holidays! This two book set, with a free CD, is only $28 plus shipping, while supplies last. Order your gift set here!

Happy holidays from Louisiana!

-Johnette

Thank you!

A daily practice of gratitude opens space in your heart and life for more for which to be thankful. Everyday I am grateful to you, my family, friends, fans, clients, customers, and publishers, for believing in me and making my thirty-two years as a musician and author for children joyful and enriching.

As 2020 comes to a close, may we all give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Though this year has been challenging, difficult and painful for many, there is still room for gratitude. It is as easy as saying, “thank you.”

Thank you beaucoup!

-Johnette

Red Beans & Eric Interview!

Well, this was a delightful interview for Red Beans & Eric! Thank you Eric for the kind words and feature!

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If you grew up in Louisiana you probably grew up listening to Johnette Downing in some form or another. The New Orleans native has been the familiar voice to a generation of school kids who sang along to her songs or were read one of her award-winning books.

Downing, a prolific songwriter and author of over twenty-one children’s books and ten recordings, loves to share her Louisiana roots and has been considered the ‘Musical Ambassador for Children‘. Her work showcases all that is unique about the culture and shares it in such a way that while you experience the story or lyrics, you’re learning about life in the Bayou State.

Some of her work includes the titles Who Got the Baby in the King Cake?, How to Dress a Po’boy, Ten Gators in the Bed, Today is Monday in Louisiana (see video below), and Mumbo Jumbo, Stay Out of the Gumbo. Mumbo Jumbo represented the State of Louisiana at the National Book Festival in 2017 while Monday in Louisiana went on to spawn a series that has so far covered Texas, New York, Kentucky, and Mississippi – all written by Downing and published by the Pelican Publishing Company.

Not only has Downing performed for schools throughout Louisiana and on stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the French Quarter Festival, but she has also toured the world sharing her music making stops in Nicaragua, Panama, Morocco, Egypt, and South Korea to name just a few. And by using food as a source for inspiration for her work, wherever she goes, children can easily relate to her stories. During a live performance, she can have the children compare the foods of their culture to show them how unique they are.

As a former early-childhood music teacher, her dedication to sharing all that is great about Louisiana isn’t all she intends to accomplish with each performance or workshop. Her end goal is to celebrate childhood and to foster literacy through her music and books by educating the children through engaging and entertaining ways.

Downing, the recipient of twenty-two international awards, continues to be one of the great ambassadors for Louisiana. She has earned the reputation for being the ‘Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions‘ and through her work, has become a state treasure.

Who makes the best red beans and rice?

Though the question was “who makes,” and you probably meant which restaurant, I will have to say my grandmother made the best red beans and rice I have ever eaten. She would roll over in her grave if I gave any other answer, so I am not tempting spirits with this trick question! No, sir.

When did you learn to make red beans and rice?

I learned to make red beans and rice as a child, probably as soon as I was tall enough to reach the stove. Both my grandmother and my mother made mean pots of beans, and I learned how to cook from them.

What do red beans and rice mean to you?

Red beans and rice means New Orleans tradition to me. When I was a child, nearly every restaurant served red beans and rice on Monday, and that is what we ate. As a young adult, there was a “meat and three” restaurant on Esplanade, and people stood in line for red beans and rice, myself included.

Are there any special memories that are brought up when you think back on it?

There are so many special memories that involve red beans and rice for me. As a child, during Mardi Gras season, we always ate red beans and rice, and king cake, before going to parades. After the parades, we would come home and eat the leftovers. Even as an adult, I make red beans and rice for Mardi Gras guests. It is just the perfect dish to feed hungry parade-goers.

Do you only eat red beans and rice on a Monday?

As a child growing up in the New Orleans metro area, we had red beans and rice every Monday. Every now and then in grade school, the lunchroom staff would try to pass off Navy beans on Monday. No offense to Navy beans, but it is not tradition. Sometimes you just need to stick with what works.

What’s your process for cooking a pot of red beans?

My secret to making delicious red beans is using my grandmother’s black iron dutch oven. She used that pot so much that the walls thinned with age. I swear you could cook shoe-sole in that pot and it would taste good.

The next must is Camellia Brand beans that you soak overnight. Don’t come at me with a can of beans! After sauteing the holy trinity, I add a generous dash of Lea & Perrins and add a ham bone with large chunks of ham still attached. There is just something about using the bone that enhances the flavor. My mother threw in a bay leaf for some reason, so I do too. I take it out before serving.

Later during the cooking process, I take out a ladle full of beans and put them in a large measuring cup so that I can mash them. I then return the mashed beans to the pot to help thicken the dish. When all of the ham pieces have fallen off the bone, the beans are generally ready. I like a slow-cooking process so that many of the beans have given up, thrown off their skins, and become a thick, rich base.

What do you serve with your red beans and rice?

Because I make thick, mushy beans, not the whole kind with a watery base, I often forego serving rice. I know, I know, that’s fighting words, so I serve beans over rice for guests. A slightly sweetened cornbread made in a black iron skillet is a perfect side, as are collard greens.

Did you have any new projects that you’d like to pass along?

Fall 2020 release in time for Christmas!

Red beans and rice have played such an important role in celebrations in my life that I included them in several of my children’s books such as Today is Monday in Louisiana, Chef Creole, My Aunt Came Back from Louisiana, and Who Got the Baby in the King Cake?

My upcoming picture book pays homage to another Louisiana celebration, Bonfires on the Levee, a Louisiana Christmas Tradition. This counting book about the bonfires that light the way for Papa Noel, the Cajun Santa Claus, along the Mississippi River levee in the River Parishes is slated for a fall 2020 release through Pelican Publishing. Pre-orders are available on Amazon and on my website.

I am also working on a Halloween album for children called “Jumpin’ Jitters” that combines old traditional tunes with some of my original slightly spooky, mostly silly songs.

For more information on all of Johnette Downing’s books and music, and to pre-order Bonfires on the Levee, please visit her website at johnettedowning.com. And if you sign up for her newsletter you’ll receive free song download.

You can also stay up-to-date with all that she is doing by following her on your favorite social media:
instagram.com/johnettedowning
twitter.com/johnettemusic
facebook.com/johnettedowning

Thank you for reading!

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to the Red Beans & Eric Newsletter so you don’t miss a recipe, interview, or review. By signing up, I’ll send you a free e-cookbook that includes some of the most popular recipes from the website.

You can always stay in touch with me by leaving a comment in the section below, by clicking here or messaging me on any of the social media sites that I am on.

Thank you for stopping by!

Keep the red beans cookin’!

Eric

November 1, 2020

To see the entire interview, visit https://www.redbeansanderic.com/johnette-downing/