Module #2 Caldecott/Picture Books

Title: Smoky Night

Citation:

Bunting, E. (1994). Smoky night. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace &
      Company.

Summary:

Daniel and his mother watch from their darkened apartment window looters pillage their neighborhood during the Los Angles race riots. Later they are evacuated from their apartment and must go to a shelter with others from the neighborhood and must leave his cat behind. Events at the shelter throw Daniel and his mother together with their Korean neighbor, Mrs. Kim.

Review:

K-Gr 3-Daniel and his mother watch through their window as an urban riot is in progress. She tries to explain what is happening as he sees the laughing people break into the neighborhood stores and rob them. One of the victims is Mrs. Kim, whose cat is the enemy of his cat, Jasmine. Daniel's mother doesn't shop at Mrs. Kim's store because she feels it's better to ``buy from our own people.'' Later, their building is set on fire and he and his mother go with their neighbors to a shelter. The boy worries about Jasmine, and is relieved when a fireman brings her and Mrs. Kim's cat to the shelter. The felines have learned to get along in their shared danger. Bunting skillfully uses the voice of the child narrator. His innocent view of the riots makes the destructive behavior of the rioters more abhorrent. His suggestion that the cats were enemies only because they did not know each other well enough enables the adults to reach out to one another and bridge the distance their prejudice has kept between them. Diaz illustrates the story with bold, dark, stylized acrylic paintings framed by collage backgrounds of various textured objects usually reflecting the text. When the rioters loot a dry cleaners, for example, the background is wire hangers and plastic film. The pictures are more arresting than appealing, but they invite discussion and will stimulate thoughtful responses to this quietly powerful story.-Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ

Review Source:

Sherman, L. (May, 1994). Smoky night (Book Review). School Library Journal, 40(5), 89.

 

Impression:

I actually didn’t realize that this book was about the LA race riots until I read the jacket cover. My initial impression was I enjoyed the book. The mix of collage and bold graphic artwork was a bit contradictory at first. Once I knew the context of the story I re-read it and really started noticing the illustrator’s use of items such as paper scraps, food, matches and glass to reinforce the words of the story. The colors in the big, bold artwork on the opposite pages are very appealing. The exaggerated facials feature scream “ethic”. A bit of research reveal that race riots took place in LA in 1965 and 1992, but there is not indication given of which riots the author is representing.

Suggested Use(s):

1.     Use this book to introduce the LA race riots with younger kids. Discuss what the students know about prejudice.

2.     Do an art project following the illustrator’s lead of using scraps of paper, cloth, etc to represent a favorite story.

3.     Have students write about a time that they were afraid. What was the situation? How was it resolved? What did you do to get through it?

Additional Information:

Awards: 1995 Caldecott Medal Winner, an ALA Notable Children’s Book, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Parent’s Choice Award Winner

Illustrator: David Diaz

Interest Level: K-3

Reading Level: 2.5

AR Reading Level: 2.4

AR Interest Level: LG

Lexile Measure: 360