The Ghost Tree
written by Yvette Landry
illustrated by Cullen Anthony Bernard
About the book:
“For as long as anyone can remember, the children of Isle Labbe have been warned to stay out of the Catahoula Swamp. It was not because of the giant alligators that would love nothing better than to make you their next meal, or the water moccasins that wait with venomous fangs, ready to strike the minute their territory is invaded, but because folks believe that children who enter that swamp never return.”
About the author(s):
Yvette Landry grew up in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, not far from the levees of the Atchafalaya Basin. It was in and around that swamp where she learned to hunt, fish, ride horses, dance, understand French, and tell stories. A Grammy-nominated, award-winning vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter, Yvette has recorded on nineteen records, including her own award-winning debut album titled Should Have Known (2010). Yvette has traveled the world and played countless cultural festivals from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to the Grass Roots Festival of Music and Dance in New York. She toured Russia where she served as Cultural Ambassador on behalf of the Library of Congress while performing with the Festival of Traditional American Music. Elected as Governor to the Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy, she fronts her own band and is a member of The Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Balfa Toujours, and several prominent Cajun bands. Yvette also serves on the board of Louisiana Folk Roots and is acting director of its summer Kids Camp.
Yvette is also a noted children’s author, whose first book, The Ghost Tree (2012), received a nomination for Louisiana’s Young Readers’ Choice Award and represented Louisiana at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
When not playing music or writing, Yvette stays busy as a mother, a private homeschool teacher, an adjunct professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, co-founder of Song and Sign, and a sign language interpreter.
Cullen Anthony Bernard is a visual artist and illustrator from Lafayette, Louisiana. Cullen began drawing at an early age after being inspired by the art of early Warner Bros. animation and the works of other artists such as John K. (Ren and Stimpy) and Ralph Bakshi (Mighty Mouse, The Hobbit). These days, Cullen is the owner and operator of Folklore Goods and Supply, a local business that focuses on unique functional art and apparel.