Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans

Following the stellar The Great American Dust Bowl (2013), Brown tells the story of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans, beginning with “a swirl of unremarkable wind” in “early August, 2005” and ending with the observation that “By 2012, only 80 percent of New Orleans’s residents had returned.”

Artwork with the high quality of early Disney animation—strongly drawn figures against electrically charged watercolor backgrounds—seamlessly co-tells a dramatic tale with text that ranges from simple, factual sentences to quotations from an extensive collection of books and media. The text and artwork clearly reveal two separate but inextricably connected horrors: devastation caused by a high-category hurricane and the human responsibility that lay behind the nightmarish scenarios. The book is fast-paced and hard to put down, sequential panels used to perfect advantage. A couple is shown in rising water in their home, scratching a hole through their roof to safety. Later, a crowd of 15,000 waits, without supplies, in a fetid convention center, for impossibly slow help to arrive. “Mayor Nagin is never seen there.” The final frame of that series depicts a woman on her knees, crying out, “Help us!” In addition to quoting and contextualizing such now-infamous sayings as, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job,” the book pays homage to the heroism of many, both professionals and volunteers.

An excellent chronicle of the tragedy for a broad audience; children, teens, and adults will all be moved. (source notes, bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 12 & up)

Brown follows The Great American Dust Bowl (2013) with the story of the hurricane that destroyed New Orleans. He traces the sequence of events that left the flood levees breached and the city flooded with "a disgusting stew of oil, seawater, feces, rubber tires, foul linen, house paint, shattered lumber, and rot of all kinds." It's a grim, heartrending account. Thousands were stranded in venues utterly lacking in supplies or facilities. The crucial question of why the city's African-American community suffered disproportionately is not dealt with on its face, but Brown's artwork reflects the city's diversity, and he recounts the victims' indignities and outrages with deep sympathy. The author quotes President George W. Bush's fulsome words for the head of FEMA--"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job"--then observes, "The President's praise confuses many Americans." Lively, dynamic sketching gives the artwork a sense of urgency and immediacy. It is as important to tell the story of a nation's failures as it is to record its triumphs, and this is a crucial contribution. Ages 12-up. Agent: Angela Miller, Miller Agency. (Aug.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 7 Up--A murky watercolor storm spreads across pages, darkening and becoming more ominous as it builds in Brown's deeply affecting look at Hurricane Katrina. Dynamic sketches capture shocking scenes, such as residents fleeing down claustrophobic highways as the 400-mile-wide storm looms in a nearly completely dark spread. Brown depicts broken levees, flooded homes, and inhabitants scrabbling to not drown in their attics. A stunningly powerful spread shows water everywhere and two lone people trapped on a roof. The images demonstrate the utter devastation and despair while the at times spare text powerfully reveals the voices of the victims. The many failures of President Bush, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mayor Ray Nagin, and others are repeatedly noted, as is the heroism of various organizations and ordinary people. Brown walks readers through the ghastly conditions at the Superdome, the horrors of hospitals with no electricity, and the nightmarish reality of dead bodies everywhere. The story becomes grimmer at every turn: ineffectual police and rescue efforts, looting, the lack of housing for rescued victims, and 5,000 missing children. The muted watercolors effectively capture the squalid and treacherous conditions of every inch of New Orleans. The final pages show the rebuilding efforts but note the lasting effects of vastly decreased populations. VERDICT This astonishingly powerful look at one of America's worst disasters is a masterful blend of story and art and a required purchase for all libraries.--Amanda MacGregor, Great River Regional Library, St. Cloud, MN

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

* "An excellent chronicle of the tragedy for a broad audience; children, teens, and adults will all be moved."
—Kirkus, starred review

* "Lively, dynamic sketching gives the artwork a sense of urgency and immediacy. It is as important to tell the story of a nation's failures as it is to record its triumphs, and this is a crucial contribution."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Emotionally resonant, this outstanding title will appeal to graphic novel and nonfiction readers alike."
—Booklist, starred review

* "This astonishingly powerful look at one of America's worst disasters is a masterful blend of story and art."
—School Library Journal, starred review

* "If a book's power were measured like a storm's, this would be category five."
—Horn Book Magazine, starred review

"This book could almost make its point on the powerful illustrations alone, but Brown's precise language secures the historical details in an unforgettable way...'Drowned City' delivers a brave treatment of important and uncomfortable details."
—The New York Times Book Review