“Soldiers pointed guns at my mother and father. They are forcing us to leave our home, and we are allowed to take only what we can carry. My name is Jean-Paul Hébert, and I am an Acadian.”
It’s 1759, and the British are expelling the Acadians—French immigrants who settled Canada in search of religious freedom—from their land in Nova Scotia. Jean-Paul recounts his family’s plight, from their forced labor in Georgia to the hardships they overcome to build a new home in the Louisiana bayous. His story is the story of Louisiana’s Cajuns.
Jean-Paul Hébert Was There is presented in English and in French. It is designed to teach youngsters about their Cajun heritage and native French language.
About the Author
Sheila Hébert-Collins, a native of Abbeville, Louisiana, has a passion for children’s literature and enormous pride in her Cajun heritage. She is listed on the Louisiana State Artist Roster as an author and Cajun storyteller and often makes appearances in schools throughout the state. Her other books include Blanchette et les Sept Petits Cajuns: A Cajun Snow White, ’T Pousette et ’T Poulette: A Cajun Hansel and Gretel, Cendrillon: A Cajun Cinderella, Jolie Blonde and the Three Héberts: A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale, Les Trois Cochons, Jacques et la Canne à Sucre: A Cajun Jack and the Beanstalk and Petite Rouge: A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale, all published by Pelican.
About the Illustrator
John Bergeron is an artist and author who lives in Abbeville, Louisiana. He has a BA in commercial art and hopes to help preserve the Cajun heritage through his paintings.
JEAN-PAUL HÉBERT WAS THERE/
JEAN-PAUL HÉBERT ETAIT LÀ
by Sheila Hébert-Collins
Illustrated by John Bergeron
JUVENILE FICTION / Historical / United States / General
32 pp. 8 1/2 x 11
23 color illustrations
ISBN: 9781565549289 hc