Johnette Downing, an award-winning musician and children’s book author from New Orleans, will perform her show, “Down in Louisiana: Animal Songs for Children,” at the East Regional Library in Destrehan at 2 p.m. and at the West Regional Library in Luling at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 30.
Downing won the 2017 Louisiana Writer Award and has won eight Parents’ Choice Awards. Her work has been reviewed by Parenting Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly and the Washington Post, among other outlets.
Downing, who last performed at the library in 2019, uses Cajun, Creole, zydeco, and jazz-influenced music and sings songs about alligators, mosquitoes, possums and mudbugs.
“We love showcasing local performers, and Johnette Downing is really a Louisiana icon,” said Lauren Campo-Pitz, assistant director of the library. “Her performances are so much fun. They have a little something for everyone.”
Pitz said her show will probably appeal the most to the youngest library patrons – toddlers and preschoolers.
“However, anyone who loves good music and seeing a phenomenal entertainer will have a great time,” Pitz said. “The fact that it’s about our very own state is icing on the cake.”
Pitz said Downing always gets the crowd dancing and interacting.
“Seeing all the kids in the audience moving to the music and following her lead is always fun to see,” she said.
Downing’s performance is part of the library’s summer reading program, which kicked off the first week of June and includes special events that are free and open to the public in addition to several summer events and activities planned by library staff.
Summer is the busiest season for the library, with over 8,151 people attending summer programs last year.
As part of the summer program, the library has set a goal of clocking 2,750,000 reading minutes. Readers who wish to participate can sign up through the Beanstack Reading Tracker app, online at beanstack.com or in-person at any library branch.
After Downing’s performance, patrons can also find her books at the library.
“We have many of her books at the library available for check out, and so many are Louisiana-themed,” Pitz said.
