A Place Where Hurricanes Happen

New Orleans is known as a place where hurricanes happen . . . but that’s just one side of the story.
 
Children of New Orleans tell about their experiences of Hurricane Katrina through poignant and straightforward free verse in this fictional account of the storm. As natural and man-made disasters become commonplace, we increasingly need books like this one to help children contextualize and discuss difficult and often tragic events.

Renée Watson has worked as a teaching-artist for more than ten years, teaching creative writing and theater to elementary, middle and high school students. In 2006 Renée travelled to New Orleans where she facilitated poetry and theater workshops with children coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Renée lives in New York, New York. This is her first picture book. You can visit Renée online at www.reneewatson.net.


In 2009, Shadra Strickland received the American Library Association's John Steptoe Award for New Talent and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award for Bird, her first picture book. Shadra visited New Orleans to research this book, and she was awed by the art scene, the rich culture, and the wonderful people of the city. Shadra lives in Brooklyn, New York.