Reviewed by
Laura Madsen, Mom, Veterinarian, and Writer
Written by
Myron Uhlberg and illustrated by Colin Bootman, this picture book tells the
story of a young boy in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The boy, named Louis after the famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong, evacuates
his home with his parents and his treasured trumpet. After wading through the
flood waters and being denied a ride on a boat, Louis and his parents end up at
the Superdome. Louis is threatened by grown men for his water bottle, and he
and his mom get separated from his dad. Louis plays his trumpet in a ray of
sunlight streaming through the broken dome roof, enabling his dad to find them.
After reuniting, the family returns home.
The story is
very powerful. Louis’s emotions are raw in his first-person narration, as in
this passage:
The murky brown
water rose so high Daddy had to climb up on the porch boat with Mama and me.
That was when my broom hit a pile of clothes. Mama covered my eyes. “Don’t
look, Baby,” she said. But I couldn’t help looking.
Although this
is a picture book, it is not for younger children. Because of the story’s heavy
themes, it is probably most appropriate for kids in elementary school. I read
it aloud to my six- and eight-year-old kids, and choked up several times while
reading.
Market:
children’s picture book
Violence:
implied
Language: none
Sensuality:
none
Adult themes:
natural disaster, death, breakdown of society’s rules after a disaster
Book formats:
1 comment:
This sounds like such a wonderful book! I love really moving picture books. Thanks for your review, Laura!
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