Recipient of the 2017 Louisiana Writer Award, Johnette Downing is a musician, author, illustrator, and haiku poet with twenty-nine books and eleven recordings for children. Called the "Musical Ambassador to Children," the "Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions," and the "Cajun Raffi" by the media, Johnette has performed her Louisiana roots music and books on five continents, and has received dozens of awards.