Nancy Murray, like so many others, sat transfixed in front of the television during the days following Katrina. A native Floridian and hurricane survivor herself, Nancy wanted to do something for the children of New Orleans. Within days Nancy completed her touching tale of Gullah, the Nawleans Cat.

The heartwarming tale of a French Quarter kitty finding himself in the middle of a flooded wasteland carries the reader along Katrina's aftermath through the eyes of a cat. The story beams with hope as Gullah finds a fellow survivor, Kitchey-Gee Lafitte, and sings loudly over the rooftops.

The story itself is an enjoyable read with some colloquialisms and French thrown in for good measure. However, the images painted by Mississippi evacuee, Sandy Ford, bring the story to life. All sixteen illustrations were painted within her FEMA trailer.

In addition to introducing a character to children to relate to as they recover from Katrina, Nancy Murray has been donating the proceeds from Gullah to charities along the Gulf Coast including Habitat for Humanity.

You can purchase the book online but it will also be available soon locally at the Maple Street Children's Book Shop.

After finishing the book myself I had a few questions for the author which you can read after the jump.Why did you choose to name the cat Gullah?
I named the cat Gullah because Gullah is the language of the Gullah or Geechee folk who live on the barrier islands of South Carolina, a "creolization" or combination of African, French and English. It is very hard for outsiders to understand. (I once lived in South Carolina and I heard the folk-slaves invented the language to communicate with each other while mystifying their masters, but I don't know if that is true.)

While the language is lyrical and expressive, its cadence musical, I chose it because I think the most significant problem with Katrina was lack of communication. None of the outsiders truly understood the plight of the victims before, during and after the storm and the dire need to help the people and the city. (That's why the book is dedicated to the children and the First Responders).

What sort of research did you do for the book?
For research, I read a number of books on Katrina: The Great Deluge, 1 Dead in Attic, The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why during Hurricane Katrina, The Inside Story from One Louisiana Scientist, Hurricane Force, Hurricane Katrina – the Storm That Changed America, Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security, The Story of a Storm (children's), Their Eyes Were Watching God (fiction- the mid-Florida hurricane of the 30's), various news casts, You Tube videos, articles and travel books of New Orleans.

Have you visited New Orleans before or do you plan to soon?
I have been to New Orleans twice, once as a young teen and again in the late 1980's. Being involved with acting, (Little Theater) I always loved the romance, the magical mood and the "Southern-est" of the city. I am a Walker Percy fan. I am hoping to visit in September. I've actually had folks ask me where Gullah is today! I have to go to Nawleans to fine out. Perhaps, a sequel? Is Gullah posing as poster-cat for the Gulf recovery?

What inspired you to create the character of Kitchey-Gee Lafitte?
As an only child growing up in an old Southern family, we had a "colored" maid. Believe it or not, her name was Fanny Pugh! She was a big, big woman with the blackest face, the whitest teeth, the most laugh-hearty smile and the softest bosom to snuggle up to when troubles came any lonely child could wish for. And, she always called me "baby."

How did you meet illustrator, Sandy Ford?
I actually met Sandy over the internet. None of the artists who submitted drawings for the book seemed "right." In frustration one day, I simply typed in "Katrina Artists" not knowing if there was a web site with this name or not. Up popped a number of New Orleans' artists. Sandy had a watercolor of a cat in a bucket! She also had that whimsical, child-like quality along with those wonderful watermelon, peaches and mint colors in her paintings that sang Nawleans in summer! I emailed, she emailed. She said she'd answer as soon as she got her cat well; she was pouring water down its throat. That did it! She was the one. Destiny. She painted all 16 watercolor illustrations sitting on a buoy in a FEMA trailer. It turned out to be great therapy as she waited for her house to be rebuilt. Who ever imagined such beauty would come out of a FEMA trailer?

What do you hope children get from reading your book?
Hope. Joy. And a happy ending, especially for the "Katrina Kids." I hope all children will be comforted and know that no matter how bad things get, there is someone there to help. There's always a tomorrow and things will be better. Different, yes, but better if you just "sing grief rather than cry it!"