How to Dress a Po' Boy - Hardcover

by Johnette Downing (Author)

What's in your po' boy? It takes a lot of skill to put together the perfect New Orleans-style po' boy. Talented children's author and musician Johnette Downing takes readers through step by step to create this classic meal, adding in a heaping dash of humor. From French bread and Blue-Plateï 1/2 mayonnaise to Creole tomatoes and debris, all delicious ingredients are included. This book is a tasty read for even the youngest child and a great laugh for adults of all ages!

Front Jacket

A one-dish cookbook in story form, this tale is a tasty read for even the youngest child. Acclaimed children's author, illustrator, and musician Johnette Downing adds a heaping serving of fun to this iconic New Orleans sandwich with quirky collage illustrations. Downing takes readers on a food adventure as she lists the ingredients one by one to create the perfect New Orleans-style po' boy. Her delicious sandwich starts with fresh French bread "dressed" with all the fixings, including Blue Plate(R) Mayonnaise, leafy green lettuce, Creole tomatoes, and sliced dill pickles, and ends with a choice of meat such as shrimp, catfish, or "debris." Add some Louisiana hot sauce as a bit of lagniappe to make this po' boy the best ever-Louisiana style! Don't worry if you don't know what debris is. Downing includes a lighthearted Word Menu that provides the inside scoop on ingredients and a short history of the po' boy itself.

Johnette Downing is a multi-award-winning, internationally recognized singer and songwriter. Her many accolades include six Parents' Choice Awards, four iParenting Media Awards, and four National Parenting Publication Awards. She wrote and illustrated, 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 and is the 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, all available from Pelican. Downing lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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.