Fiction - Food, Fiction - U. S. People, Places & Cultures

Today Is Monday in Louisiana

Name: Today Is Monday in Louisiana
Author: Johnette Downing
ISBN: 9781589804067

by Johnette Downing, Deborah Ousley Kadair

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Overview

All you lucky children, come and eat it up!

"Kadair's homespun collages . . . prove to be a tasty medium. . . . Youngsters may well be inspired to put together their own art projects celebrating their favorite dishes."
-Publishers Weekly

"A pleasing addition to Louisiana lore and a fun, light note for a unit on the state."
-School Library Journal

Gold/Honors Award Winner National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Children's Products

Based on a popular song adapted by the multi-award-winning New Orleans singer-songwriter Johnette Downing, Today Is Monday in Louisiana rhythmically takes readers through a culinary calendar, describing a Louisiana meal a day.
Each day of the week is a delicious one in Louisiana, a state known as much for its love of food as for its love of cultural heritage, family, and tradition. The best of Cajun, Creole, African, and French foods have been enjoyed for generations and continue to be served up daily at restaurants, in schools, and at the dinner tables of families throughout the state.
On Monday there are red beans to eat and on Tuesday, po' boys. On Wednesday gumbo is served, and on it goes, each day bringing another unique and tasty Louisiana dish to share. A glossary describes the meals, their cultural origins, and how the food is presented. A recipe for red beans and rice is included too, so you can begin your week the Louisiana way!

Synopsis

On Monday, there are red beans to eat, and on Tuesday, po'boys and on it goes throughout the week, each day bringing a unique and tasty Louisiana dish to the table. Based on a song by New Orleans singer/songwriter Johnette Downing, Today Is Monday in Louisiana offers the best of Cajun, Creole, African, and French foods.

About the Author, Johnette Downing

Deborah Ousley Kadair was trained in the Montessori teaching method and conducts storytelling and illustration workshops for children. She is a talented illustrator of several books with Pelican, including the Today Is Monday Series, Chef Creole, Down in Louisiana, and Grandma's Gumbo, all by author Johnette Downing. Kadair also has written and illustrated her own collection of books, including I Spy in the Louisiana Sky, I Spy in the Texas Sky, and There Was an Ol' Cajun. Kadair lives in Cedar Park, Texas.

Johnette Downing is an award-winning, internationally recognized singer and songwriter. Her many accolades include six Parents' Choice Awards, four iParenting Media Awards, four National Parenting Publication Awards, and a Family Review Center Award. She has written numerous poems, articles, and children's books with a focus on Louisiana culture. Her many titles include There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Bugs, My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane, Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud, and Amazon Alphabet, for all of which she also provided colorful paper-collage illustrations. She is author of Chef Creole, Down in Louisiana, Why the Oyster Has the Pearl, Why the Possum Has a Large Grin, Today Is Monday in Louisiana, Today Is Monday in Texas, Today Is Monday in New York, and Today Is Monday in Kentucky. Downing lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Reviews

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Downing's fans may recognize this cumulative text as the lyrics to a longtime Louisiana favorite song she adapted for her 1998 kids' album, From the Gumbo Pot. Even without the music, the words still have plenty of lip-smacking appeal as they match signature Creole and Cajun dishes to the days of the week. "Today is Monday/ Monday red beans," begins the text, adding the verses' refrain: "All you lucky children, come and/ eat it up. Come and eat it up!" By the time the end of the week rolls around, readers also will have been urged to try everything from po' boys (Tuesday) to beignets (Sunday), always followed by the refrain. Kadair's (Grandma's Gumbo) cut-paper and photo collages alternate close-ups of the dishes with scenes of a dining room that welcomes an ever-growing number of guests. Her homespun collages may be made from cloth and paper (and even rice), but they prove to be a tasty medium for conveying the mouthwatering flavors. Youngsters may well be inspired to put together their own art projects celebrating their favorite dishes. In keeping with the spirit of the culture it celebrates, the book also includes a lagniappe: a description of each dish cited, and a recipe for red beans and rice. Ages 5-8. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 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. Back matter includes a description of each dish and a recipe for Monday's red beans and rice. The simplicity of Kadair's bold, bright collages fits the text perfectly. The oblong format of this offering, with the words on the left-hand page and the illustration opposite, works well as the table gets pretty crowded at the end. A pleasing addition to Louisiana lore and a fun, light note for a unit on the state.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this adaptation of a popular song, internationally-acclaimed children's musician Downing introduces a signature Louisiana food for each day of the week, from red beans on Monday to beignets on Sunday. After presenting each new dish, the book repeats preceding days' dishes, providing children the perfect opportunity to participate in the story as they are prompted to recall information from previous pages. A catchy refrain follows each day's meal: "All you lucky children come and eat it up. Come and eat it up!" Kadair's trademark collages illustrate close-ups of each new food while a table full of children with plates in front of them occupies the pages opposite the chorus. Downing's rhythmic, repetitive text will appeal to children, as will Kadair's addition of a new child to the table for each new food. Unfortunately, the collage technique often results in unappetizing pictures of the foods introduced here-the catfish, for example, appears to be covered in hair, and the beignets are literally squares of cardboard-and thus, the book is not likely to inspire children to expand their culinary, or cultural, horizons. (glossary, recipe) (Picture book. 3-7)