This book is about a boy named Daniel who lives with his mom and his cat named Jasmine. One night they witness a riot by their apartment building, and then they have to relocate to a shelter because of a fire breaking out in their building. This book tells how people of difference do not get along, but with an event such as the fire, brings the different people together and they begin a friendship.

This book was good, I especially liked the moral of the story how Daniel comes to know that just because people are different, whether race, or culturally different, friendships can still exist, and the way the book brought this about by using the two cats was perfect, making this book an excellent example of multicultural literature. The illustrations in this book are really nice; some of the pictures are of the actual items, which brought a more real touch to the story, so the author did a super job of incorporating these into the story.

For my classroom project, I would first have my students reflect in their journals about a time when they had displayed such behavior, or witnessed someone else behaving in the manner of not liking someone because they were different. I would then like the students to come up with an example of how they would respond should it happen again. Another project would be to have the students break up into groups of 3 and make a picture-poem about what they have just learned from the story. They would work together to come up with a short poem, and to help display the poem into more meaningful structure they would cut and glue pictures from old magazines and newspapers that go with their theme. The groups would then come one at a time to the front of the classroom and recite their work.

A young girl and her mother watch out the window one night and see a lot of crime. People are stealing and breaking in places. They go to bed and their building catches on fire. They escape but the girl and the neighbor cannot find their cats. They are very sad until the fireman comes in holding both cats. They end up being very happy.

A neighborhood is in total chaos one night when a riot breaks out. An apartment building catches on fire, forcing neighbors who do not know each other to come closer. Two neighbors who have never talked before end up becoming friends in the end.

This book would be very hard to read to young children. I believe it would be a little scary for them to understand. I do like how in the end the neighbors are brought together by their animals who never really like each other as well.

In the classroom I would like to talk more about riots and help the children understand a little bit better. I would also like for them to draw a picture of what they think might have also happened that night.

Daniel and his mother watch riots in the street out of their apartment window. Daniel discusses how he does not like Mrs. Kim's, a woman who owns a store across the street, cat because it is always mean to Jasmine. Daniela dn his mother do not shop at Mrs. Kim's because they need to shop from their "own people." When it is time to go to sleep Daniel's mother and their cat, Jasmine, sleep with him. They are awaken by a smell of smoke and someone pounding on their door. They leave the apartment because there is a fire. Daniel is upset because he cannot find Jasmine. Everyone goes to a shelter and Daniel is still upset about Jasmine. A firefighter come in with Jasmine and Mrs. Kim's cat, the two were getting along and drank milk out of the same bowl. Daniel realizes that they can like each other and this makes his mother introduce herself to Mrs. Kim and asks her to come over sometime.

This book was interesting but it was a little confusing and I think it would be confusing for elementary school children because it never tells what was happening at the end. It tells about people stealing stuff on the streets and burning down houses but it never tells about what is happening. It would be a great way to show the discrimination in the olden days though.