TODAY IS MONDAY IN LOUISIANA

In this adaptation of a popular song, internationally-acclaimed children’s musician Downing introduces a signature Louisiana food for each day of the week, from red beans on Monday to beignets on Sunday. After presenting each new dish, the book repeats preceding days’ dishes, providing children the perfect opportunity to participate in the story as they are prompted to recall information from previous pages. A catchy refrain follows each day’s meal: “All you lucky children come and eat it up. Come and eat it up!” Kadair’s trademark collages illustrate close-ups of each new food while a table full of children with plates in front of them occupies the pages opposite the chorus. Downing’s rhythmic, repetitive text will appeal to children, as will Kadair’s addition of a new child to the table for each new food. Unfortunately, the collage technique often results in unappetizing pictures of the foods introduced here—the catfish, for example, appears to be covered in hair, and the beignets are literally squares of cardboard—and thus, the book is not likely to inspire children to expand their culinary, or cultural, horizons. (glossary, recipe) (Picture book. 3-7)