All Hands on Deck!: A Deadly Hurricane, a Daring Rescue, and the Origin of the Cajun Navy

by Robert Neubecker

A heroic tale of boats, large and small, teaming up and lending a hand in a time of need, based on the true story of a community that came together to rescue survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

When the wind is high and the barometer is low, it can mean only one thing: Hurricane! In the aftermath of a terrible storm, a coastal community is left in shambles, with thousands of people stranded on cars or rooftops. The Coast Guard is stretched to its limit, and all along the coast, schooners and sloops and speedboats wonder “What can I do? I am only one little boat.” But by working together, even the littlest boats can make a difference.
Based on the true story of the “Cajun Navy” that came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and has continued to assist in rescue efforts after every major hurricane to strike the Gulf Coast in the years since, this tale of courage and community will inspire readers of all ages to step up and do their part.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 15, 2021

About the author

Robert Neubecker is the award-winning author-illustrator of Wow! City! and Wow! Ocean! He has illustrated many other books for young readers. His work has been published by Slate, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. He lives in Park City, Utah, with his family.

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL HANDS ON DECK is a fun and educational book that teaches a bit about what the Cajun Navy is, how it started, and hurricanes. The characters are ships rather than the people, which is more appealing to children. It highlights how they help people during times of need. Hurricane Katrina is the setting of this book which is when the Cajun Navy started, once New Orleans was flooded out.

The illustrations are incredible and I love how the picture of the hurricane growing also shows the defined eye in the center. It also tells us a bit about the different boats that the Cajun Navy uses and the usefulness of each one. In the back of the book, there's a bonus section that teaches what hurricanes are, a bit about Hurricane Katrina, and some hurricane safety tips.


Final Verdict: This book is perfect for fans of boats and those who enjoy learning about natural disasters. As a Louisianian, it's nice to see this book and I think it would be even more interesting for those who don't live in the path of hurricanes.

[Krystal]

This tells the story of the Cajun Navy with sweet illustrations that give the boats personality.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like the boat called Bubba because our doggy is called Bubba. I also like the green boat. I learned what the coast guard is. I also learned that knives are a good safety tool" - Lucas

It was cool to read this after Helene since my parents area was affected so I got to show my son the kind of good people in the world that were able to help out in East TN & Western NC - Mama

[Joey Gremillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

yay for the Cajun navy.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weather, things that go, hurricanes, New Orleans!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a complete sucker for this book since my dad is Cajun and I'm second-generation Cajun. My paternal homestead actually survived Katrina.

That said the positives for me are the engaging illustrations I think children will love, boats which children love, and a sense of people being able to address the issue (child psychologist recommend this as a step in addressing childhood anxiety around rightly anxiety inducing topics like weather events).

For me it was a little long and the blocks of text awkward.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bubba, Bennie, and Sal do everything they can to save people when Hurricane Katrina hits.