Additional information
by Sheila Hebert-Collins (Author)
Jean-Paul and his family are Acadians who have been forced from their Canadian homeland by the British. After many hardships, they settle in Louisiana, establishing the areaï 1/2s first Cajun settlements. The tale is written in English and French.
Front Jacket
It is 1759. Jean-Paul, a young boy, and his family must leave their homes, taking only what they can carry. They are Acadian--French citizens who emigrated to Canada in search of a better life. But now the British are forcing them to leave.
Jean-Paul recounts his family's plight, from their expulsion from Canada and forced labor in Georgia to the hardships they overcome to build a new home. They settle in the lush bayous of Louisiana, where the once-persecuted Acadians and their descendants establish the first Cajun settlements.
Jean-Paul Hï¿1/2bert Was There is a glimpse into Cajun history through the eyes of a young boy and is presented in English and in Cajun French. It is a delightful instrument designed to teach youngsters about their Cajun heritage and native French language.
Sheila Hï¿1/2bert-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 Hï¿1/2berts: A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale, Les Trois Cochons, and Petite Rouge: A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale, all published by Pelican.
John Bergeron is an artist and author who lives in Abbeville, Louisiana. He has a B.A. in commercial art and hopes to help preserve the Cajun heritage through his paintings
Author Biography
Sheila Hèbert-Collins was born in Abbeville, Louisiana, the heart of Cajun country. She is what you'd call an authentic Cajun, since both her mother's and father's lineage trace back to Acadia in Canada. Hèbert-Collins grew up proud of her Cajun culture, and teaching the lower grades for twenty years instilled in her a love for children's literature. That passion for children's literature, combined with her Cajun pride, motivated her to rewrite cherished fairy tales with a Cajun twist. These stories were designed to teach younger children French, as well as to develop Cajun pride of their own.
Hèbert-Collins didn't start her writing career until she retired from teaching in Louisiana in 1989. In late 1993, her first Cajun fairy tale was published: Jolie Blonde and the Three Hèberts: A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale, which is a Cajun retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. By 1996, she had four books published and had visited over 120 Louisiana schools and many public libraries, reading her Cajun fairy tales and promoting their culture.
Sheila Hèbert-Collins' name appears in the Louisiana State Artist Roster as an author and Cajun storyteller. She has presented for the Louisiana Reading Association's local and state conventions and has also appeared for the Florida Association of Media Educators, Lee County Reading Festival, and Florida Gulf Coast University.
In 1999, Sheila Hèbert-Collins became a school librarian, working on certification at the same time. She was certified in library science in 2000 and was hired as a media specialist at Manatee Elementary in Collier County, Florida, in 2002. During that year, her sixth fairy tale was published. Working in such a diversified school has given her more cultures to learn about and, more than ever, more reasons to promote cultural pride. She currently resides in Abbeville, Louisiana.
