Down in Louisiana

by Johnette Downing, Deborah Kadair (Illustrator)

This rhyming picture book offers children a tour of the Louisiana bayous, marshes, and wetlands and the creatures that inhabit them. Based on a traditional song adapted by the award-winning Louisiana singer/songwriter Johnette Downing, the book invites children to count the families of pelicans, armadillos, black bears, alligators, Catahoulas, nutria, possums, crawfish, and mosquitoes. Each animal named is first introduced by the environment in which they live--the wetlands are home to the barking Catahoula, the live oak haven houses the sleepy possums, the mosquitoes buzz in the swamp, and the armadillos dig in the bayou. Deborah Kadairis signature collage illustrations highlight the animals and their surroundings with clear, simple images that kids and parents can re-create at home with construction paper and a bit of imagination.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Recipient of the Louisiana Writer Award and the NOTCF's Literary Arts and Humanities Award, New Orleans culture bearer Johnette Downing is a musician, author, illustrator and poet dedicated to sharing her rich Louisiana musical and literary heritage with children across the globe. Called the "Bard of the Bayou," Johnette has performed on five continents and is the author of thirteen albums and thirty-two books including two biographies for grown-ups.

Reviews

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. The song is so sweet, and it just does a great job of highlighting the incredible ecological diversity of Louisiana. So lovely.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recognized the rhythm of the story from reading Over in the Hollow, a Halloween book we loved. I didn't know that this was a traditional folk song. The illustrations are pretty, but since it includes a lot of unfamiliar animals, I wish the illustrations were more realistic.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this for my kids after my recent trip, and to my delight, they love it! Based on a familiar and catchy song, the author introduces you to animals indigenous to Louisiana. Crazily, Lucy's favorite is the alligator gar fish! I don't completely love the illustrations, but we do enjoy singing the song together.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is similar to Down in the Ocean in the Coral Reef.
Repeating text with rhyming words. Not as great illustrations as the ocean book, but still neat with a torn paper look. There is also hidden numbers to find in each page.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for children. My copy is signed by the author.