In the neighborhoods of New Orleans in those days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, children played hide and seek, helped make jumbalaya and knew they belonged. The voices of Keesha, Michael, Tommy and Adrienne describe their lives before and after the hurricane using free verse. Speaking in dialect each child describes how his or her family chose to handle the big storm whether it was to stick it out or to get in the car and head to Houston. Some watched as the water rose around them and the world seemed to float by and some stood in line in the Superdome waiting for a drink of water. It was scary and there has been much change in their worlds. Some of their neighbors will never come back because they did not survive and some have chosen to move away. But for those who have returned the memories will bind them and the character and the beat of the city will return. If you're looking for a way to help children connect to this powerful event, this is a great picture book told from a child's point of view. Shadra Strickland's illustrations add a sense of emptiness with their muted colors. 40 pages