Why the Oyster Has the Pearl - Tapa dura

"Johnette Downing's vibrant storytelling makes every book a celebration between covers."
-Cher� Coen, Louisiana author and journalist

As keeper of all the jewels in the ocean, the Oyster shares these treasures with any creature who needs them. He manages the balance of wealth and beauty in the sea with the refrain, "Choose the ones you need and leave the rest." But when the greedy Snake tries to leave the other sea creatures with nothing, he is forced to live with the consequences.

In this morality tale, avarice marks the Snake permanently when he attempts to keep everything for himself.

Johnette Downing is an award-winning, internationally recognized singer/songwriter who performs original children's music. Her many accolades include six Parents' Choice Awards, four iParenting Media Awards, and four National Parenting Publication Awards. The author of nine books with Pelican, 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 authored Chef Creole, Down in Louisiana, Today Is Monday in Louisiana, Today Is Monday in Texas, and Today Is Monday in New York. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Bethanne Hill is a Southern-born painter and illustrator whose work has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, books, and CDs. Her bold, colorful paintings are widely collected. Why the Oyster Has the Pearl is the first children's book she has illustrated. Hill lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, artist Darius Hill, their three children, and three dogs.