Fictional account of a family who lives through the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina. After the water rises around their home the family escapes, finding shelter at the Superdome. Told from the perspective of a child, void of politics. Touches on the emotions, the sights, and sounds of the flooding and immediate aftermath, only hinting at the frightening aspects. Illustrations are well done and will help readers to better visualize the time and place. Main character is named after Louis Armstrong; toots his horn to help his father locate him in the enormous football stadium. Includes authors note, listing of books and websites to learn more. ( )

This sensi - tively written fictional story about sur - viving Hurricane Katrina is told from the perspective of a 10-year-old boy whose family was caught in the aftermath of the storm

The story of hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans, told through the eyes of one ten-year-old boy who has to leave his house and wade through the flood with his parents to safety. There's no time to gather things to bring with them, but the boy - named Louis Daniel, after Louis Armstrong - grabs his cornet to bring with them, and it proves crucial when his father can't find the boy and his mother in the Superdome.

Colin Bootman's illustrations reminded me of Gordon C. James' paintings for Crown: an Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, showing the full scope of Black people's emotions in this situation. Except for the title page and final double-page-spread, which are full-bleed illustrations, all of the others have air frames, with text in the white space on the left and/or right side.

Back matter includes Author's Note, additional resources (books and websites), and photographs. ( )

This is quite a story. The illustrations are remarkable. Because I can remember Hurricane Katrina like it was yesterday, it brought back a lot of emotions, especially seeing the drawings in the book. The author did a wonderful job bringing the reader into the mind of Louis Daniel and presenting the obstacles he and his family had to face and overcome. ( )

A moving story about Katrina as experienced by a ten year old boy. Beautifully illustrated and handled the topic very well. A great book for the younger set. ( )