Additional information
by Johnette Downing (Author), Heather Stanley (Illustrator)
Petit Pierre has made a home for himself on the coast where Louisiana meets Mississippi, and now it is time for him to learn how to plunge-dive. Brown pelicans typically pick up this behavior by watching others do it. Will a new friend help Pierre learn how to dive? Young readers will follow his progress and, along the way, find out more about Gulf of Mexico marine life.
Author Biography
"Downing has certainly found her niche, serving up New Orleans-flavored tunes."
--Publishers Weekly
"Children's singer, arts advocate, and preschool music teacher Johnette Downing, nicknamed the 'Pied Piper for Louisiana music traditions, ' serves up a mélange of Cajun, Creole, Southern blues, Caribbean, and boogie-woogie influences."
--EducationWatch, the Grammy Foundation
"This New Orleans native singer/songwriter takes the music of her life--Cajun, zydeco, and jazz--and mixes it into a kid-friendly gumbo."
--South Florida Parenting magazine
"Downing thinks like a child, but writes like a magician."
--Julie Kane, former Louisiana Poet Laureate
Johnette Downing uses her love of Louisiana to give her writing a unique kick. Called the "musical ambassador to children" and the "Pied Piper of Louisiana music traditions," Downing is a musician and author dedicated to sharing her Louisiana roots, music, and books with children. The recipient of twenty-two international awards, Downing has performed concerts and author visits for children, and workshops for educators, in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America, North America, and the Caribbean.
The author of twenty-one children's books and ten recordings, Downing has garnered rave reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Parents' Magazine, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Grammy.com, and numerous parenting journals.
Selected by New Orleans Magazine as one of the 2014 Top Female Achievers, and by CityBusiness Magazine as one of the 2008 Women of the Year, Downing, a former early-childhood music teacher, is passionate about combining music and stories to celebrate childhood, culture, and literacy. When not serving her irresistible kid-friendly musical and literary gumbo across the globe, she resides in New Orleans with her husband.
Heather Stanley's illustrations and designs are inspired by animals and the natural wonders of our world. Stanley received a BFA from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and an MFA from Radford University in Virginia. Stanley is the Director of Creative Services at Audubon Nature Institute and uses her talents to educate people about nature and wildlife. This is the third book she has illustrated with Johnette Downing. Stanley was raised in Louisiana and lives near New Orleans with her family.
