Smoky Night

Book Title: Smoky Night

Author(s): Eve Bunting

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: David Diaz

Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.

Copyright Date: 1994

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction picturebook

Brief Annotation: Daniel is a young boy who lives with his mother in Los Angeles. During the riots in the early 90’s, Daniel and his mother are forced to leave their apartment building when a fire starts, and Jasmine, Daniel’s cat, is nowhere to be found. They evacuate to a nearby shelter, where they discover their neighbor’s cat is also missing. The two cats, rescued while hiding together, help instill important messages about looking past differences and getting along with one another.

Your Rating (1-5) and why: 5—Smoky Night is incredibly written and illustrated. I love how the background to the pictures complements the text and how they have a textured quality to them. Diaz uses a combination of photographs and mixed-media collages alongside bold and colorful character illustrations. Smoky Night touches on some heavy issues, like the Los Angeles riots and racism, in a way that children can understand, by using two cats to teach lessons about getting along and respecting others.

Readers who will like this book: Children who like stories about animals, particularly cats; children who appreciate stories based on actual events; children who may have been affected by a traumatic event such as rioting or experiencing prejudice; adults looking for an excellent read that deals with riots and racism; anyone who enjoys reading well-written stories with beautiful and creative illustrations.

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp: Book Bits. In this literacy strategy, students receive a sentence or phrase from a text. After reading their book bit, students reflect on what it means and begin to make impressions about the reading selection. They then share their book bit with classmates in teams of two , sharing with several partners. Once students have heard a few other book bits, “the teacher asks them to return to their seats and quickly write any new impressions of the text based on the information they acquired by listening to their partners’ book bits” (p. 27). This activity gives children an opportunity to speculate on the text, make predictions, and form hypotheses based on tidbits of information. A few “bits” from Smoky Night that a teacher might choose to select include: “It can happen when people get angry. They want to smash and destroy. They don’t care anymore what’s right and what’s wrong.”; “My mama and I don’t go in Mrs. Kim’s market even though it’s close. Mama says it’s better if we buy from our own people.”; “We rush down the stairs. Others crowd around us. The smoke makes me cough.”; “The fire fighter nods. ‘They were so scared they were holding paws.’”; “Perhaps when things settle down you and your cat will come over and share a dish of milk with us.”

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud: What is a riot? What are some causes that lead to rioting? How would you feel if rioting occurred in your neighborhood?

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age): Pre-K—Grade 3

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 2.5

3. List awards: Caldecott Metal, ALA Notable Children’s Book, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Parents’ Choice Award Winner

4. Book trailer: None