Why the Possum Has a Large Grin - Hardcover

by Johnette Downing (Author)

Move over Bre'r Rabbit, there's a new trickster in town!

When hungry Deer asks Possum how he stays so plump during the long dry season, the sly marsupial gets an idea. It wouldn't take much for Possum to help Deer; he could just climb that ol' persimmon tree and knock down the fruit. But Possum is just plain lazy and he'd rather trick Deer into doing the work for both of them. Once Possum decides to take advantage of his starving neighbor they both become marked forever.

Front Jacket

This traditional Choctaw tale has been adapted by the talented singer/songwriter Johnette Downing. Her hilarious narrative of sly Possum's manipulative ways will have children grinning from ear to ear. From the moment the very hungry Deer spies fat Possum lolling about beneath a persimmon tree, Possum begins to plot. While Possum could certainly help out the starving Deer, he's just too lazy! Why not make Deer do all the work? Possum tricks Deer into getting the persimmons out of the tree and the experience marks both of them forever. Told in rhythmic verse reminiscent of classic Bre'r Rabbit tales, the story is accompanied by clever illustrations that bring it vividly to life. Poor Deer and silly Possum will never be the same!

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.