Summer 2020 Newsletter
We have had time over the past few months to reflect on what we hold dear and what is most important in our lives. As we focus on connecting with family, friends, and community, let us also remember to extend that love, for the greater good, to the world.
While home, I rediscovered the first album I recorded with then music partner, Richard Knickerbocker (aka Dickie Knicks), called New Moon, Tunes for Little Folks (1990). Recorded on reel to reel analog (with plenty of chorus reverb that was popular at that time), the song is about love and gratitude, and about being a beacon of hope for others. It is reassuring to know that those same core values that were at the forefront of why I wanted to perform music for children, hold true for me and my career today.
This album was never released publicly. We printed 100 cassettes, four of which I still have, and we gave them to friends, family, and fans. On this 30th anniversary of this recording, I offer this "Love the World" song I wrote as a reminder to reach out and love the world.
Click on the album cover on the left (yep, that's me, 30 years ago) for a private SoundCloud listening link to the song just for you, my family, friends and fans across the globe.
-Johnette
P.S. I created the cut-paper collage illustration at the top of this newsletter several years ago, and thought it fitting to use today.
Summer Reading Program begins this month across the nation, and with it, new and exciting ways for children to engage in literary programs and activities. Check with your local library to see what events they have in store for you. The national theme this year is fairy tales, mythology, and fantasy.
I am delighted to partner with select Louisiana and Massachusetts libraries for my very first virtual summer reading program called Louisiana Trickster Tales and Tunes! Children and family patrons of these libraries will sing, read, and move along with me from the comfort of their respective homes! Check out my Summer Reading Program schedule!
Trickster Tale Gift Set!
To celebrate Summer Reading Program 2020, you may wish to collect all three of my pourquoi (why) trickster tales in this gift set for young readers who enjoy origin tales, myths and legends. Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud is on the Accelerated Reader list, Why the Possum has a Large Grin is loosely based on a Louisiana Choctaw tale, and Why the Oyster Has the Pearl came to me in a dream. Two of these original morality tales feature double “why” endings adding a unique twist, not found in classic folk tales. I hope the stories come alive as you listen to me read all three of these books on the included Reading Rocks! CD. This gift set is only available here, while supplies last.
Let's dive into reading, fellow book worms, with this R E A D lyric video!
Have a joyful summer.
-Johnette