“The birds knew,” begins a beautiful book about Hurricane Katrina. I never thought there could be a beautiful book about Katrina, but this is.

Guided by their Mississippi teacher Reona Visser, Long Beach children in 2006 told, then illustrated, their memories of the killer storm. With a few simple words, colorful collages and an amazing clarity, they captured Katrina.

“Story of a Storm,” it is called.

All of us writers, pundits and television reporters who so desperately tried to describe the aftermath of the storm should have done so well. We could learn fr...

Log-In to view full story or view our Registration Guide.