Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans

by Phil Bildner, John Parra (Illustrator)

Overview

In New Orleans, there lived a man who saw the streets as his calling, and he swept them clean. He danced up one avenue and down another and everyone danced along. The old ladies whistled and whirled. The old men hooted and hollered. The barbers, bead twirlers, and beignet bakers bounded behind that one-man parade. But then came the rising Mississippi—and a storm greater than anyone had seen before. In this heartwarming book about a real garbage man, Phil Bildner and John Parra tell the inspiring story of a humble man and the heroic difference he made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452125787
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Series:	A Latino Book of Concepts Series
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Phil Bildner is the author of numerous children's picture books and the cocreator of Sluggers, the New York Times bestselling middlegrade chapter book serial. He lives in Newburgh, New York.

John Parra is an award-winning illustrator, designer, teacher, and fine art painter. His books have earned starred reviews, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for illustration, and the International Latino Book Award for Best Children's Book Interior Illustrations. He lives in Queens, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"A modern day folktale of an ordinary man who helped us become better people through his example."—Books and Whatnot

"Trumpets the power of one person's efforts in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds to inspire an entire community."-Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Trumpets the power of one person's efforts in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds to inspire an entire community."-Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Emphasizes the vibrant life before Hurricane Katrina and makes the impact of the terrible flood."-Booklist

"Emphasizes the vibrant life before Hurricane Katrina and makes the impact of the terrible flood."-Booklist

"Trumpets the power of one person's efforts in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds to inspire an entire community."-Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Emphasizes the vibrant life before Hurricane Katrina and makes the impact of the terrible flood."-Booklist

"A fine tribute to an unsung African-American hero."-Kirkus Reviews

"A fine tribute to an unsung African-American hero."-Kirkus Reviews

"A stirring story of resilience in the face of adversity."-School Library Journal

"A stirring story of resilience in the face of adversity."-School Library Journal

"A fine tribute to an unsung African-American hero."-Kirkus Reviews

"A stirring story of resilience in the face of adversity."-School Library Journal

"This is a beautiful little book that any young person would love to have. And would be great for any adult to have on their coffee table, another artistic expression of the tens of thousands of stories about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans."—OnNewOrleans.com

"This is a beautiful little book that any young person would love to have. And would be great for any adult to have on their coffee table, another artistic expression of the tens of thousands of stories about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans."—OnNewOrleans.com

"A lovely new American folk tale."—Imagination Soup

"A lovely new American folk tale."—Imagination Soup

"This is a beautiful little book that any young person would love to have. And would be great for any adult to have on their coffee table, another artistic expression of the tens of thousands of stories about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans."—OnNewOrleans.com

"A lovely new American folk tale."—Imagination Soup

"The heroics of a street cleaner - what a refreshing topic."—USA Today

"The heroics of a street cleaner - what a refreshing topic."—USA Today

"A new American folk hero."-School Library Connection

"A new American folk hero."-School Library Connection

"The heroics of a street cleaner - what a refreshing topic."—USA Today

"A new American folk hero."-School Library Connection

"A modern day folktale of an ordinary man who helped us become better people through his example."—Books and Whatnot

"A modern day folktale of an ordinary man who helped us become better people through his example."—Books and Whatnot

From the Publisher

10/01/2015
K-Gr 2—A modern-day folktale about Cornelius Washington, a real-life figure who was a dynamic street sweeper in New Orleans. The working man, aka Marvelous Cornelius, can be seen doing fun tricks and flips while sweeping the streets of the Quarter. When Hurricane Katrina hits the city, Cornelius is overwhelmed by the cleanup, but volunteers come from everywhere to help. He soon finds his NOLA spirit and begins cleaning again in the aftermath of the great storm. Parra's paintings are modern and fresh, with bright colors paired with repetition of phrases and sounds. Children will enjoy both listening to the story read aloud as well as poring over the beautiful pages to learn about a slice of New Orleans history. VERDICT A stirring story of resilience in the face of adversity.—April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

School Library Journal

2015-06-16
An almost-true story of a man who loved his job and did it well.In this colorful mélange of fact and fiction, Bildner tells the tale of Cornelius Washington, a sanitation worker who cleans the streets of the French Quarter of New Orleans and performs his job with flair. Cornelius does flips, lobs bags of trash into his garbage truck as if shooting hoops in the gym, makes trash-can lids into cymbals, and entertains locals while making the streets sparkle. Hurricane Katrina changes all of that, leaving trash, death, and decay in its wake, "a gumbo of mush and mud." After weeping for his city, Cornelius joins forces with his neighbors and the waves of people who come to New Orleans post-Katrina from all over to help make New Orleans sparkle once again. Parra's lively, rustic illustrations look textured, as if they were painted on wooden boards—appropriate for a book that depicts only outdoor scenes. Notably, the images of the French Quarter post-Katrina suggest a much more diverse population than those of pre-Katrina New Orleans; perhaps some who came to help stayed. The illustrator fills every page with activity, while the text comments on individual people readers can find if they look.A fine tribute to an unsung African-American hero. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews