Of all the wonderfully illustrated books I’ve seen so far,
Smoky Night by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz, takes the cake.
The collages, along with the other medias used on each page, are truly works of art.
Although the illustrations are abstract, they correspond beautifully with the story created by the words.
If I wrote a children’s book, I would want David Diaz illustrating it!
The plot itself, based on the experience of a child during the Los Angeles riots, is solid and eye opening.
Young children may initially find it hard to relate to the story because they do not have experience with some of the topics that are touched on, such as riots and homeless shelters.
However, many children can relate to loving a pet, and therefore, they can relate to the main character which opens the door for a real learning experience because they are emotionally invested.
This firsthand account of this historical even leaves a lasting impression because it tells about the experience from an innocent child’s perspective and that will not fade as quickly as information gathered from a textbook or lecture.
Teachers can use this book to discuss the topic of rioting as well as the importance of getting along with and respecting all people.
For young children, this would be a great book to use for a feeling identification lesson because the children can speculate about what feelings the boy is probably experiencing at different points in the story.
Young children would also find it fun to talk about what lesson the cats taught the humans.
For older children, this book could be used as a discussion starter on the topic of race conflict and its consequences.
Lastly, this book could be used to teach about the art form of collage and could lead to students creating their own collages about a topic or emotionally salient event from their life.
This project has the potential to be turned into a beautiful class book.
Year Published: 1994
Awards: Caldecott Medal
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