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.

Grade Level:5
This book won a Caldecott Award. This book is illustrared very well and it catches the eyes of the children. Although, the book is talking about riots going on down the street, her mom takes good care of her. This book makes children very aware of what can happen in the world. With his book you can find lesson to teach with history and have a real riot explained so children can visual understanding one that has happened. http://www.easyfunschool.com/IndexHis... has a lot of lesson plans you can use to help you find something and they are also fun lesson plans.

This is a heart warming story of a boy and his mother who are experiencing the LA riots during the night. The mother and boy are forced to walk to a shelter after the apartment complex catches fire. The boy thinks he has lost his kitten until a firefighter returns it to him. (3rd grade)

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/r... Had activities and standards that you could incorporate into your lesson by reading her books.

This is a story of how two families of different cultures survive the rioting in their city. The main characters are a little boy, Daniel, his Mom, and an orange cat. The family is awakened by smoke and has to leave their apartment building because of a fire from the riots. The cat is missing, but returned to Daniel later along with another cat found by the firemen. The book ends as the families who did not get along because of cultural differences make friends because of their cats.
I found several websites that listed Eve Bunting as one of their authors. For example, readingrockets.org/books/interviews has a video interview with Eve Bunting, a biography and a list of all of her books.

This book is about a boy who lives in a neighborhood where race has separated the community. A riot breaks out and people are breaking into all of the businesses, busting out windows, and smashing street lights. They also set fire to the apartment building where the little boy lives. After everyone gets out of their houses safe they are taken to a shelter where they are forced to unite no matter what the color of their skin is.

I thought this book really portrayed what things use to be like and may still be like in some communities. I have never understood why people think being a different color matters. I suppose it has just been a way of thinking that has been passed down each generation for so many years. It amazes me that racism is still very much apart of our world today even after so many years. For example, in my town we still have certain neighborhoods that only certain races live in.

I would have my class write me a paragraph telling me their thoughts on racism. I really liked the artwork put together in this book made out of real items, so I would have my student use everyday items to make a picture of their favorite scene in the book.

This book was very interesting to read. I wouldn't recommend it for younger children because it might be hard to understand and somewhat frightening for them to hear. Older children would comprhend this book better. It is a story of a little boy and his mother watching a riot on there street. Later, there building gets set on fire and they are forced to go to a shelter. The young boy loses his cat and becomes upset. At the shelter, they meet up with a lady from a different culture who lives on their street, but whom they never speak with who also owns a cat. A fireman finds both kittens and they become friends with this lady and her cat. It can be a great book to read when discussing befriending new people, especially those who are different from you.

Author website:
www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/eve-bunting

This book is an excellent realistic/historical fiction story because it discusses huge themes that have been felt throughout our country's history. It addresses real life issues of violence and hatred that result from racism and prejudice. This story is a great tool to use in critical literacy because it will cause readers to question and think about great themes. The pictures are also impactful and draw readers into the story. ( )

Eve Bunting creates a heartwarming story of a child’s perspective on the LA riots in Smoky Night. The language is simple and straightforward but book contains a very profound message. The illustrations are bold and include photos of real items as the background. The story raises honest questions about relationships between people of different races in our society. This book could easily be used in a high school setting to begin a discussion on the history of race relations in the United States. It could also be used as a starting point to research the working of Dr. Martin Luther King and examine how far America has come since his famous I Have a Dream speech and how much work still needs to be done. ( )

Smokey Night is a book about a boy named, Daniel who lives in a city where riots are taking place. From his window Daniel can see looters breaking into nearby stores. Daniel is also observing fires burning in the distance. Of course Daniel is terrified and asks his mom why are people doing such bad things? His mom answers Daniel by saying that sometimes when people get angry they just want to destroy and don’t care if it’s right or wrong. Daniel and his mom have to leave suddenly to go to a shelter, Daniel cannot find his cat but it is too dangerous to try and find her at that moment. Once at the shelter Daniel and his mother run into Mrs. Kim, their long time neighbor who they had never spoken with because they belong to different ethnic groups. Mrs. Kim’s cat is also missing and her and Daniel are brought together by the fear they have for their missing cats. This story has a happy ending when both cats are united with their owners by the firemen. Mrs. Kim and Daniel’s mother start a friendship they never thought was possible.

This book is for any teacher or parent who wants to introduce the realities of the world to children. As a mother and future teacher I feel it is important to address things such as riots and racial tensions. This book shows how tragedy can bring people together and how children may have more in common with someone than they thought they ever would.

After reading this book children could list all the things they have in common with other children in the class. This would be a great activity in the beginning of the year for children to get to know each other. For younger children, they could draw and cut out their own versions of the cats from the story. This book also has to do with fires, and could be used to start a discussion on fire safety.

A note of caution: this is an intense and emotional book. It's also amazingly poignant and beautifully created and a welcome addition to any library. But, with the subject material being the LA riots as seen through a small boy's eyes, parents should be aware of and involved in the reading process of Smoky Night.
David Diaz does a masterful job of creating two dimensional collages on each page of this book, juxtaposing chalk drawings of the main characters with layered effects of paper, candy, cardboard, and many other mediums. The story focuses on a small boy named Daniel who is seeing rioters in his neighborhood and is displaced from his home due to the fires that occur later. When both Daniel's cat and the cat of a local Asian woman are both rescued by a firefighter, Daniel serves as the innocent architect of racial reconciliation between two individuals. This reconciliation is at the heart of this story, a story that doesn't gloss over the harsh details of the riots but instead allows these details to be healed by the people affected. Truly a very engaging book that should be enjoyed by children and adults alike. ( )

The graphics in this book are really interesting. The story is heartwarming and shows that in a time of crisis that people who are different can bond.

This is a very good example of realistic fiction because the setting if very vivid. The destruction is clearly described and so is the fire that is started in the apartment building. A variety of people are present in this story such as Mrs. Kim, Daniel and his mom, and firefighters. This story is also convincingly true because it depicts the riots that did take place in Los Angeles.

Setting: This is a very appropriate setting because the book focuses on the Los Angeles riots where this story takes place.

Media: collage

This is a great book to help children recognize diversity, conflict and resolution. The beginning of this book showing pictures of a young boy and his mother witnessing a riot. Later there is a fire and he misplaces his cat. Later he finds his cat with his neighbor's cat(who his mother has issues with) in the arms of a fire fighter. In the end, everyone is happy that they are alive along with their cats. ( )

This story starts out with a mom and her son standing by their window watching a riot. They see people stealing, smashing things and screaming. Accross the street people are dragging cartoons of cereal and snacks of rice from Kim's Market. The boy mentioned that they do not shop there because his mother says it is better to buy from our own people. They go to bed but they keep their clothes on. The next thing they know is they are rushing down stairs because their apartment building is on fire. The boy is freaking out because he can not find his cat. The fireman said that the cat probly go away all ready and Kim the lady from the market can not find her cat either. The boy's cat and Kim's cat did not get along either. They end up going to the shelter for the night. The fireman comes to the shelter and brings them their cats he had found. The boy asked where he had found them and he said they were under the stairs together and they were even holding paws. The mother of the boy invites Kim over to share a bowl of milk and Kim accepts the invitation.

I enjoyed this book. It was the story more than the pictures. I can not wait to read this to my boy when he gets old enough to let him know not to judge and give everyone a chance.

I would definitely read this story aloud to my students. The pictures were great and the meaning behind the story is very helpful. ( )

This picture book captures the essence of multicultural literature. In it, a fire started by rioters in a neighborhood bring families of different backgrounds together to cope with the smoky night. The illustrations are phenomenal- each page seems to have its own texture created by layered materials. On top of the texture is an illustration of the scene that is taking place on that page. There is so much to look at and take in on each page that people of all ages will be attentive to this story. ( )

This is a moving book about people who can't get along, but in the end, after a riot, learn to work together and finally get to know one another. It's really an amazing and well written book that really looks at many issues going on in the world. I could see this book as being one that may bring about the need for 'defense'.

Smoky Night follows a mother and daughter as riots develop in their metro-city town. The story begins with looters and the daughter questioning such. Her mother reassures her and claims the rioters are moving on. There is a scene of someone stealing a tv, then an alarm rings in their apartment complex. The mother and daughter along with a bunch of others storm out of the building. The daughter had left her cat in the apartment, and a fireman rescues it. Another lady from another building finds her cat .The turmoil subsides and there is yet peace again. The daughter and mother visit the lady, bringing their cat to caress with the lady's cat. This book was ok. The story is seemingly satisfactory, but seems to be a true account of riots, having impacted a child's life. The artwork is done with lots of darker colors and surrounded by very exuberant cut-outs, making for a very eye-appealing contrast. ( )

A young boy watches a riot in the street below with his mother. She explains what the people are doing and he is frightened y it. In the night a fire is set otheir apartment building and they are forced to leave. The young boy and an Asian woman have both lost their cats and a firefighter reunites them. The cats being together brings the families together despite their diversity.

Very good book and amazing illustration! I love the lesson and how something so small like two cats can make all the difference in getting along.

Good to use in the classroom when dealing with diversity issues. Also good to tie into a lesson about firefighters and other emergency help.

Daniel and his mother look out their window watching the rioters outside cause terrible disaster on their street. Still in fear, Daniel goes to sleep with his mother and their cat, Jasmine. Waken in the middle of the night by their apartment building being on fire, Daniel and his mother have to leave their lost cat, Jasmine to find shelter. Will They find Jasmine?

I thought this book was amazing. It not only is a great book for younger ages, but it also kept me attentive. You could really feel as Daniel, a young child, would feel in a situation like that. I also think it depicts a great view of cultural differences. The book is very realistic with a very real meaning behind the simple story of a lost cat.

I think this would be a great book to have a lesson on morals and values with the older grades, such as, fourth and fifth graders. Have them pair up and draw, write or talk about what makes them different from each other in front of the class. Have the class as a whole, write why everyone should get along with each other and write their answers on a huge piece of paper and hang it in the room. You could have the kids add to the end of the story, such as, what they think happened when Daniel and his mother got home from the shelter after the riots. Lastly, you could teach on fire prevention and safely leaving a burning building. ( )

Interesting read, illustrations are a collage format, about a boy and his mother and their experience in the LA riots, format is simple to read and tries to be done in a nonthreatening way ( )

A good book to read during Black History month. Make sure that the students and a little older because this book is more mature. It has a very good lesson about getting to know someone before you judge them.