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62nd out of 76 books
—
225 voters
Smoky Night
In a night of rioting, Daniel and his mother are forced to leave their apartment for the safety of a shelter. “Diaz has not been afraid to take risks in illustrating the story with thickly textured paintings against a background of torn-paper and found-object collage. Without becoming cluttered or gimmicky, these pictures manage to capture a calamitous atmosphere that fina...more
Paperback, 36 pages
Published
April 1st 1999
by Sandpiper
(first published 1994)
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Awards Won: Caldecott Medal (1995), American Library Assocation (ALA) Notable Book
Age Level: 4-8
Smoky Night is a very thought provoking book that depicts many difficult issues. There are many hardships discusssed throughout the book including racisim, rioting, loss of a home, and the loss of loved ones. Though the story has a happy ending, I would not recommend the book for students under the age of 8. The illustrations are very unique watercolor pictures that give the reader a sense of being in...more
Age Level: 4-8
Smoky Night is a very thought provoking book that depicts many difficult issues. There are many hardships discusssed throughout the book including racisim, rioting, loss of a home, and the loss of loved ones. Though the story has a happy ending, I would not recommend the book for students under the age of 8. The illustrations are very unique watercolor pictures that give the reader a sense of being in...more
Smoky Night is a story about a young boy named Daniel that is witnessing the devastation and destruction of riots in the streets below his apartment. While watching this all take place, Daniel's mother mentions, "when people get angry...they don't care anymore what's right and what's wrong". I found this to be an important concept and one that I continued to think about as I read the book and because this very basic concept can be applied to various parts of someone's life when people try to def...more
Tells about the Los Angeles riots in a simple version that children can understand and appreciate. Daniel witnesses the rioting in the streets of his neighborhood, where people are burning buildings and looting stores. By the end of the night, Daniel and his mother must flee and head to a shelter, where he learns to confront his own prejudices and mends some fences with Mrs. Kim, a neighboring business lady. My one complaint is that there is a scene where Daniel’s cat Jasmine is returned to him...more
This story is about a boy named Daniel and the events of the night a riot happened on his street. This book would be good for first or second graders as a read on your own book. The words are easy to read and are in a style that is easy to recognize letters.
The illustrations are both a painting on the opposite side of the text and a collage around the text, both depicting what is going on in the text. The style of the painting reminds me of some of Picasso paintings.
The illustrations are both a painting on the opposite side of the text and a collage around the text, both depicting what is going on in the text. The style of the painting reminds me of some of Picasso paintings.
Oct 09, 2012
Erin Mccall
added it
In Smoky Night, our protagonist witnesses riots throughout his neighborhood and must relocate with his mother to a shelter after their apartment building catches fire. In the end, the narrator’s cat’s friendship with the Asian market owner’s cat provides the starting point to a friendship between different races of people who did not trust one another beforehand. The layout of each page is rich with collage work, acrylic and water colored illustrations of dark blues and greens, while getting li...more
Smoky Night, written by Eve Bunting, is a thought provoking story about a little boy named Daniel. He witnesses all kind of rioting from his apartment window, and his mom says, " When people get angry. They want to smash and destroy. They don't care anymore what's right and wrong." Daniel sees people down on the street stealing a TV from Morton's Appliances, stealing shoes from Fashion Shoes, dragging cartons of cereal and sacks of rice from Kim's Market, and stealing piles of clothes from the d...more
This book, Smoky Night, is about a young boy named Daniel who experiences rioting and then a fire within his community because of racial tension. In the midst of all of this, he loses his dear cat, Jasmine. I felt like this might be an issue that might be a little too morbid to explain to children. For example, there are characters who are stealing and being violent. There is also a lot of descriptive language about the situation that is really intense (such as broken glass, hot stairwell rails,...more
Smoky Night was a very interesting book. At first, I didn't understand where it was going which kept me very engaged. I liked how the subject matter was different than anything I had ever read before. I thought it was great that the author explained what rioting is and then the reader was able to see what a riot is like through a child's eyes. The acrylic artwork was also beautiful and made the illustrations seem as if they were smoky. The blurred lines and colors gave off the impression that th...more
Smoky Night is a book about a boy, and his mama looking out their window at the streets below were people are rioting. Along with his cat Jasmine, Daniel watches in amazement as people are stealing from one another on their street. As Daniel and his mama lay down for the night, Daniel's mama wakes him up saying "get up, we have got to go!" The apartment building was on fire and all the residents were trying to get out. Everyone got out, except Daniels cat Jasmine and Mrs. Kim's cat. Mrs. Kim has...more
Caldecott Medal 1995
Overall the story was a good one, the illustrations both helped and hurt the story in my opinion. The illustrations about the story line helped tell the story, the entire page was covered with something, some sort of artwork, a painting or a picture of something. At times it was a little distracting and didn't really help the story line work. The illustrations are very colorful and the paint used is so thick that you can see the texture come off of the pages.
This is a story...more
Overall the story was a good one, the illustrations both helped and hurt the story in my opinion. The illustrations about the story line helped tell the story, the entire page was covered with something, some sort of artwork, a painting or a picture of something. At times it was a little distracting and didn't really help the story line work. The illustrations are very colorful and the paint used is so thick that you can see the texture come off of the pages.
This is a story...more
I had mixed emotions regarding the book, 'Smoky Night' by Eve Bunting. The story follows a young boy, his family, and his cat. The young boy and his family live in an apartment where there is rioting going on in the streets. The reader never finds out what the rioting is about however, I suppose that could be irrelevant. The story also follows the young boy's cat who is lost in a fire and makes a friend. Although the cats don't have dialogue the reader follows their friendship. The storyline was...more
When I read Smoky Night, text by Eve Bunting and pictures drawn by David Diaz, I loved it immediately. The story itself was very realistic; people definitely experience the hardships living in a difficult town. The thing about this book that I didn't really like was the fact that the characters in the story were drawn in a very primal way. I am sure there is a good reason to why Eve asked David Diaz to draw her characters in a animalistic way, but it kind of made me feel like the African America...more
Smoky Night is about a night where a young boy and his mother's apartment complex catch fire and while evacuating the building, Daniel loses his cat Jasmine. Daniel is very upset but remains hopeful, until finally a fireman walks through the doors of the shelter holding two cats, one which was very recognizable to Daniel. It was Jasmine. Jasmine and Mrs. Kim's cat drink from the same bowl. It can be assumed that Mrs. Kim and Daniel's mother have had their differences in the past, but based upon...more
The picture book “Smoky night” written by Eve Bunting and David Diaz, is about a little boy named Daniel and his mother who witness riots taking place outside their apartment building as people steal, smash, destroy, and set fire to things all around them. They even watch the rioters steal from their neighbor Mrs. Kim’s store. Daniel and his mother do not like Mrs. Kim very much, and do not buy food from her store because it is better to “Buy from their own people”- for Mrs. Kim is of a national...more
The title page drew me into this book. The abstract of the painting is so capturing. Once I read the book I feel in love with the story line, detail, and illustrations. The college work and paintings were so interesting to me. I found myself looking at the illustrations for a long period of time. The darker colors really set the mood for the story. This story is of a little boy experiencing riots on his street. He comes across many struggles and has to relocate with just him and his mother. Eve...more
Nov 18, 2012
Alexandra
added it
Grade/Interest 2nd grade
Reading Level: 360L
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Main Characters: Daniel, his mother, his cat, Ms. Kim
Setting: Daniel’s apartment building
POV: Narrator
Smoky Night is about a boy named Daniel, his mother, and his cat who live in an apartment in the midst of the Los Angela's riots. They watch from their window as the buildings and streets around them are being destroyed, including Mrs. Kim's market. Daniel's family tries to stay away from Mrs. Kim because they want to support Af...more
Reading Level: 360L
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Main Characters: Daniel, his mother, his cat, Ms. Kim
Setting: Daniel’s apartment building
POV: Narrator
Smoky Night is about a boy named Daniel, his mother, and his cat who live in an apartment in the midst of the Los Angela's riots. They watch from their window as the buildings and streets around them are being destroyed, including Mrs. Kim's market. Daniel's family tries to stay away from Mrs. Kim because they want to support Af...more
"Smoky Night" is about a boy named Daniel, his mother, and his cat who live in an apartment in the midst of the Los Angela's riots. They watch from their window as the buildings and streets around them are being destroyed, including Mrs. Kim's market. Daniel's family tries to stay away from Mrs. Kim because "It is better to buy from our own people." Mrs. Kim is of a different nationality and speaks a language different from Daniel's family. Even their cats don't get along! During the night Danie...more
"Smoky Night" by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz was a Caldecott winner in 1995. This book was inspired by the famous Los Angeles riots that took place in 1992. It talks about the race riots that happened from Daniel, a little boy's perspective who came to the realization that despite his neighbor's skin tone or language, we can all become friendly with one another.
Diaz did an excellent job portraying these pictures and riots with "thickly textured expressionistic acrylic painting set...more
Diaz did an excellent job portraying these pictures and riots with "thickly textured expressionistic acrylic painting set...more
This book by Eve Bunting is a story about a mother and her son, Daniel. Daniel has a cat named Jasmine and the 3 of them stand in their window watching a riot take place in the street under their building. After going to sleep they are awoken by people yelling "fire!" and smelling smoke. They must evacuate the building and then Daniel notices Jasmine is missing. A lady across the street, Mrs. Kim, also lost her cat. These cats did not get along but they ended up being found together, holding paw...more
Main Characters: Daniel, Daniel’s mother, Mrs. Kim
Setting: Los Angeles
POV: Daniel
Grade Level: K-3
Reading Level: Fountas-Pinnell - P
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Daniel is stuck in an apartment with his mom in their hometown of Los Angeles when the riots break out. Daniel is scared, and it turns out that he was right to be concerned. When their house is on fire, they must flee to a local shelter. Daniel worries about his cat that he wasn’t able to find as they ran out of the house. Everyon...more
Setting: Los Angeles
POV: Daniel
Grade Level: K-3
Reading Level: Fountas-Pinnell - P
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Daniel is stuck in an apartment with his mom in their hometown of Los Angeles when the riots break out. Daniel is scared, and it turns out that he was right to be concerned. When their house is on fire, they must flee to a local shelter. Daniel worries about his cat that he wasn’t able to find as they ran out of the house. Everyon...more
Daniel, a young boy who lives in an apartment with his mom, watches as people riot on the streets below. The rioters are breaking store windows and stealing TV’s, food, clothes, and shoes. The boy goes to sleep and is woken up by his mother because their building is on fire. Daniel worries as they leave the building because he cannot find his cat Jasmine. Firefighters try to put out the fire while the tenants of the building go to a shelter. Mrs. Kim, who owns the food store across the street, i...more
Grade/interest level: Pre-K-3
Reading level: 2.5
Genre: Fiction
Main Characters: Daniel, Mrs. Kim, Gena (Daniel’s mother)
Setting: unknown city maybe Los Angeles
POV: Daniel
Smoky Night is a story about a young boy named Daniel and a terrifying night that kindled an unlikely friendship. The story begins with Daniel and his mother watching members of their community rioting in the streets. As he watches the riot, his attention is averted to the small market run by Mrs. Kim. Daniel thinks about how mean...more
Reading level: 2.5
Genre: Fiction
Main Characters: Daniel, Mrs. Kim, Gena (Daniel’s mother)
Setting: unknown city maybe Los Angeles
POV: Daniel
Smoky Night is a story about a young boy named Daniel and a terrifying night that kindled an unlikely friendship. The story begins with Daniel and his mother watching members of their community rioting in the streets. As he watches the riot, his attention is averted to the small market run by Mrs. Kim. Daniel thinks about how mean...more
This book was an incredibly visual experience. While all of the pictures were blended in a way that matched the story so well, there were also real life images, such as cereal, and scraps of paper/cloth, which added to the story by creating a sense of realism. The story itself was about riots in Los Angelos, California, through the persepective of a child. There was an underlying story of segregation and racial separation which the author expressed through the cats belonging to the boy in the st...more
The intense emotion that rushes through your body when you read this book is overwhelming. When I read the words I want to cry. It is a very emotional book and should be read to older children. The pictures in this book add to the emotion in the book. The colors used are dark, creating a more tense environment. There are even certain textures, colors and backgrounds in the book that surround the words. These backgrounds make you feel so much more when reading the book. You can see the colors and...more
I felt Smoky Night was a great book that teaches about the LA riots of 1992. It teaches about racial tensions, riots and other political issues.
The story is told from the point of view of a boy who is watching the riot with his mother, wondering exactly what is happening. He wonders why people could do things like this and other things, like why his family doesn't shop at the store close to his because the people who own it are "different" from him. We later find out that the store owners that...more
The story is told from the point of view of a boy who is watching the riot with his mother, wondering exactly what is happening. He wonders why people could do things like this and other things, like why his family doesn't shop at the store close to his because the people who own it are "different" from him. We later find out that the store owners that...more
Smokey Night is a realistic-fiction book that would be best for 3rd graders. It is also the winner of a Caldecott award. The main characters in the book are: Daniel, his mom, Mrs. Kim, Mrs. Kim's cat, and Daniel's cat Jasmine. The point of of this story is from Daniel, and it takes place in a city where riots are occurring. The plot of this book is that Daniel and his mother are watching the riots take place, and one night their house is set on fire by the riots. They go to escape their house bu...more
One boy experiences rioting on his street and has to leave for a shelter. He and his neighborhood learn the importance of getting along with others, no matter their nationality.
Evaluation & Use With Children: The emotion stands out the most in this book. The mixed media artwork on the pages contributes of the feelings of chaos, confusion, and fear. It is easy to understand how the main character feels as he looks out his apartment window to see the rioting happening on his street. Moreover,...more
Evaluation & Use With Children: The emotion stands out the most in this book. The mixed media artwork on the pages contributes of the feelings of chaos, confusion, and fear. It is easy to understand how the main character feels as he looks out his apartment window to see the rioting happening on his street. Moreover,...more
This picture book engages the reader to think about diversity and differences, and how no matter what anyone looks from the outside, we are all the same and should not over look that. Bunting in this book tells us about a boy and his mother who live in Los Angeles and witness the riots that are happening around their building and how they themselves need to evacuate the bulding because during the riot it got set on fire. Runing and going to a shelter the little boy hopes that his cat made it and...more
The illustrations in this book really caught my eye. Right when you open the book, you know it's going to be unique and interesting. The endpages have what appear to be random scraps of paper strategically placed on a board as well as an array of matches. Some of the backgrounds were pretty clever. In the first three pages, the backgrounds depicted what the text was talking about. Some of the riots stole cereal, so the background was a bunch of cereal spilled out on a table. I didn't understand...more
Smoky Night is a book that tells events of the night a riot happened in the streets of Los Angeles. Buildings are being burned, thieves are looting stores, and racism is present. There are many hardships in this story. The story has a happy ending but it is a lot of children to take in and understand. I would recommend that students should be at least 9 or 10 to understand the story completely. The illustrations in this book are the most stunning feature. What sticks out most about the illustrat...more
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| Personal Response | 3 | 6 | Mar 05, 2012 06:57pm |
Eve Bunting is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to ho...more
More about Eve Bunting...
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to ho...more
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Oct 25, 2009 08:53am