Smoky Night

Bunting, E. (1994) Smoky Night. Illus. David Diaz. Orlando, Florida: Voyager Books- Harcourt, Inc.

Brief Annotation: Riots Daniel and his mother live in an apartment in Los Angeles. They hear the riots breaking out in the street and as Daniel tries to sleep their apartment building starts on fire. In the chaos, Daniel and Mrs. Kim (who are from different ethnic backgrounds) lose their cat but they must leave the apartment and head to the shelter where people of different ethnic backgrounds also have gathered. While they are waiting at the shelter a fireman brings two cats that belong to Daniel and Mrs. Kim. As the cats share a bowl of milk, everyone surrounding the cats realize that they can get along and get to know one another, just like the cats.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 2-6

Readers who will like this: Readers who are learning about race and about history.

Response/Rating (1-4): *** I liked reading this book because the story was simple. The moral of the story was told through cats and I liked how the people at the shelter figured they could get along if the cats could get along, even if they are from different ethnic backgrounds.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: What do you know about the L.A. riots?

Reading Strategies Connection: “Readers Theatre”

In this activity, students take on a character’s role from the book and read their character’s lines. They students must carry the communication of the whole plot, emphasizing the mood, theme through their voices, gestures, and facial expressions.

This activity is a great one for Smoky Night if the unit is talking about race or the history of race. Through this activity, students will be able to better understand the story because questions such as: why were there riots; why is everyone impacted by the two cats sharing a bowl of milk? These questions will be clarified and students will be able to put themselves in the character’s shoes and have a better grasp on history.