Louisiana author and illustrator Johnette Downing captures charming holiday traditions in this counting book for emerging readers. From one to ten the images of holiday bonfires and Christmas practices along the levees fill the pages. The vibrant illustrations created in cut paper and foam collage enhance the text, offering little ones further engagement in this soon to be classic Christmas tale of waiting for Papa Noel along the levee.
Called the "Musical Ambassador to Children" and the "Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions," Johnette Downing is a multi-award winning musician and author who serves up a gumbo of Louisiana roots music and books in a toe-tapping, two-stepping good time for children across the globe. In addition to working with children, she presents keynotes and workshops for educators globally. Dedicated to celebrating childhood, nurturing cultural exchanges, and fostering literacy through her music and books, Downing has performed in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central America, North America and the Caribbean. Her presentations speak to a child’s interests in an engaging, interactive, thought-provoking, educational, entertaining and culturally respectful way. A Governor of the Recording Academy’s Memphis Chapter, Downing has garnered a long list of awards for her music and her writing including a 2017 Louisiana Writer Award.