During a night of rioting in Los Angeles, fires and looting force neightbors--who have always avoided one another-- to come together. This is a story about cats -- and people-- who couldn't get along until a smoky and fearful night brings them together.This is a must share book in any upper elementary class or even a middle or high school class. There are so many lessons to be learned in this story that it usually fits well within a social studies lesson. I often times shared this story when talking about core democratic values because of the issues of racism that are discussed, but not explicitly. But I have also used this during a reading lesson because there are many wonderful writing techniques used that can assist young readers really get into the story and have deep conversations around the story.
I also love the pictures used in this story. It's no wonder that David Diaz won the Caldecott Award for this story. The acrylic painting along with the collage techniques makes for wonderful illustrations to go along with the story that really bring out the dramatics of the events that are happening throughout this story.
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