Chato and the Party Animals

Chato #2

by Gary Soto, Susan Guevara (Illustrator)

Chato, the coolest cat in el barrio, loves to party--but not his best buddy, Novio Boy. Birthday parties always make him blue. "I'm from the pound," he tells Chato. "I don't know when I was born. I never knew my mami. I never even had a birthday party, or nothing."So Chato plans the coolest surprise party for Novio Boy, inviting all of el barrio, and cooking up a storm. But he forgets the most important thing--inviting Novio Boy! Luckily, just as everyone starts remembering all the things they used to love about their long-lost friend, the birthday boy arrives with his own surprise--himself! In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called Chato's Kitchen "Wickedly funny...Guevara's cats are delicious send-ups of barrio characters, and Soto's words glisten with wit. Salud to this magical pairing of talents."

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Animals, Friendship, Cultural, Spanish Literature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2000

About the author

Gary Soto is the author of eleven poetry collections for adults, most notably New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the National Book Award. His poems have appeared in many literary magazines, including Ploughshares, Michigan Quarterly, Poetry International, and Poetry, which has honored him with the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Award and by featuring him in the interview series Poets in Person. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. For ITVS, he produced the film “The Pool Party,” which received the 1993 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Film Excellence. In 1997, because of his advocacy for reading, he was featured as NBC’s Person-of-the-Week. In 1999, he received the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Author-Illustrator Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the PEN Center West Book Award for Petty Crimes. He divides his time between Berkeley, California and his hometown of Fresno.

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just doesn't work for me. The basic plot is a cat wants to throw a surprise birthday party for his feline friend, forgets to invite him, and then panics when they can't find him. There is a glossary of Spanish terms in the beginning which are interspersed with the otherwise English text. The illustration are bold, dense, and busy. They contain animalified Hispanic images - gangster cats wearing headbands, a rooster mariachi player, a feline angel. I imagine that the illustrations are meant to convey the noise and activity going on in "el barrior" but I just feel like they are too much.

The world set up in this book is not internally consistent - the main cat characters seem to have rodent friends but in another scene a "large cake with mouse-colored frosting" was ordered. Perhaps children can roll with this one better than me.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Chato book. This one was so sweet. And again, I love the characters in this book and the fantastic, beautiful pictures.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wacky and whimsical with a lot of outlandish art and fun Spanish words (glossary in front), we liked this one because of its great message about friendship.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful, cute, funny little book about being kind to friends that is set in what seems like the "barrio" I lived in in 2000. :) Fills me with nostalgia, even though it's a whimsical party of cats eating cake with mouse-c0lored frosting and canaries on top. Just pure enjoyment with this book, and Mexican children or gringos growing up in Mexican neighborhoods will especially love this (although I'm sure the styles have changed since the late 90's and I'm not sure how close to home this would be with today's youth--I'm not in this neighborhood anymore!)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural
Lexile: 440L
F&P Level: P
Age: Primary


Main Characters: Chato, Novio Boy, the mice family, Chorizo
Setting: East L.A./Chato's house
Plot:
In the second installment of Chato and Novio Boys debauchery, Novio Boy reveals at one of the neighborhood birthday parties that he is from the pound, and therefore does not know his birthday and never knew his mami. He talks scornfully about the party that he is at with Chato, saying it is lame anyways, and that he doesn't care that he never had a party. Still, Chato could tell that Novio was lying and felt as if he missed out on something special by not knowing his birthday or having a birthday party. Chato, whose character is developing in this series of books, feels empathetic and decides it would be a great idea to throw a pachanga, or party, for Novio Boy. We see Chorizo and the family of mice from the previous book, Chato's kitchen, and they are good friends now. Together, they start planning Novio's birthday. They enlist a DJ, start cooking the finest Mexican dishes, and plan the decorating at Chato's house. The day of the party, a whole gang of the neighborhood folk is hanging out at Chato's waiting to surprise Novio Boy. Suddenly, Chato realizes he forgot to invite Novio! They start cruising the neighborhood looking for him, but he is nowhere to be found and Chato suspects he is either dead or he was kidnapped. As they are all discussing the next steps they should take, Novio Boy bursts into the house with a couple of mangy neighborhood vato cats, and exclaims that they had just been dumpster hopping for food. Chato quickly regroups and signals to yell "Surprise!" and Novio Boy realizes it is a party for him! Chato tells him that it is his birthday, the first day of summer, which is why he likes to play so much. The story ends with the animals dancing to oldies and eating the delicious food the animals had prepared for Novio Boy.

Main ideas: Empathy, selflessness, loyalty, friendship

Personal reaction:
I really appreciate how Chato and Novio's character develops in this series and how we get to revisit the characters from the last book, especially because in the last book, Chato and Novio were plotting to eat the mouse family! In this book, the family of mice are key contributors to helping Chato plan the party for Novio Boy.
The illustrations reveal deep meaning as well, with depictions of real-life political that exist in East L.A., such as the mural of Che saying "We are NOT a minority!"

Recommend? I recommend this book, especially to use as part of the entire series so that students can witness Chato's immense character development. The deeper meaning is very evident. It's obvious, to me, that the author is using his experience with gangs and group membership and racism to create a children's story. These ideas can be explored depending on the student group.

Satisfying concluding statement: Chato & the Party Animals is a book that will have students thinking about their own friendships and the actions they take to show their friends that they care.

[Kellie Bae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chato and the Party Animals is a multicultural story about Novio Boy, a cat from the pound, that doesn’t know his birthday and is always sad and depressed when his friends celebrate their special day. His friend Chato decides to throw him a birthday party when he discovers how upset Novio Boy feels during a dog’s birthday. Chato invites everyone, arranges all the necessities of a pachanga, or festive party to help Novio Boy. After Chato gets the comida, piñata, and the friends together he realizes he has forgotten to invite Novio Boy and when they go searching for him, he is nowhere to be found. When the party guest begin to mourn the loss of Novio Boy, he suddenly shows up and comments, “Too bad this ‘dude’ is gone,” The relieved guests allow the party to begin and Novio Boy finally feels like he as a real familia.
The author’s use of slang speaking cats to portray the Hispanic culture is combined with the illustrations of cats dressed in bandanas and baggie clothing. This story appears to take place in an urban setting, or hood, and the characters, although they are cats, appear to be in their early teens. Each page where Novio Boy is seen has the image of a cat angel, or guardian angel, floating somewhere near him. The picture book allows readers a glimpse into the life on the streets and could start conversations about how friends can be like family, adoption, or looking out for others. I could see using this text as a read aloud and discussing the author’s use of Spanish and how the slang language fits with the story. Gary Soto has written other Chato stories and I may choose to share others if the students like the party animals.
The more I read this story, the more I like it because it is about another side of life and how we need our friends to look out for us. I thought is was an interesting approach to use cats and wonder if Gary Soto made the connection between his characters and the many alley cats that live in the slums. I don’t see his cat characters as being bad, so maybe his intention what for us to think about where others come from to truly understand.

[Rll595ag_fabiolaginski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoyed Gary Soto’s writing which I find very witty, realistic and entertaining. I particularly enjoy his Chato series, which never fail to amuse me. This particular one about Chato and the Party Animals is the story about Novio Boy (Boyfriend in Spanish), a stray cat who is sad and depressed because he does not even know when his actual birth date is. To help him feel better, his friend Chato decides to throw him a big birthday bash. Chato makes all the arrangements for a true Mexican “Pachanga”. He gets delicious food, a piñata, and he invites everyone he knows. He does forget, however, to invite the guest of honor. At the end, after much searching all turns out well and Novio Boy gets to experience a real birthday for the very first time (sort of a new rebirth), with his new found friends. It is definitely a funny book with an endearing message. I do have to say though, that not all people may find it as amusing, or culturally appropriate. Just recently a colleague of mine, who usually is on my same wavelength when it comes to book choices, expressed her disapproval and distaste for the book. She objected to the author’s use of stereotypical ways to portray the Hispanic culture and found the slang speaking cats in bandanas and baggie clothing to be insulting and misrepresentative of our heritage. I do have to admit that prior to her pointing out these aspects of the book I did not give it too much thought. I still love the book, but I can also see that in some ways it can promote certain stereotypes. This does not have to necessarily be prohibitive, if the subject is approached frankly and squarely beforehand with children. A discussion of the characterization of the subjects, can serve to give depth to the reading and help young readers think critically about sensitive subjects such as cultural depictions and stereotypes.

[Ashton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: Chato and the Party Animals written by Gary Soto and illustrated by Susan Guevara tells the story of Chato a wild party animal. Hoever his best buddy Novio Boy does not like to party. He tells Chato they make him sad because he never had a birthday party because he is from the pound. So of course Chato decides to throw a birthday party for Novio Boy, and he pulls out all the stops. Chato cooks lots of delicious food for the party and Chato makes sure to invite all of his friends from the barrio. However in the chaos of cooking and planning, he forgets to invite Novio Boy, the guest of honor! They look around for Noivo Boy but when they cannot find him they figure he is gone for good. While reminiscing about the good things about Novio Boy he shows up! Excited for Novio Boy’s birthday and reappearance they celebrate!
Review: This book can give a little bit of anxiety to the reader. Starting with Chato, who is not a very likable character and seems to more bad than good. It seems like there is just too much going on and the book is a little too extreme. For example, Novio Boy goes missing for a few hours and all of the characters assume that he is dead. There are plenty of reason he could be missing, including the fact that he was not invited to the party! The illustrations add to the anxiety as they are not very cleanly done and the over use of bright colors in the background also draw the reader in too many directions. However this book is comical and the use of Spanish in the book is good for introducing multicultural literature.

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read where animal take on the characteristics of people living in the city neighborhood. The whole book is based on the preparation for the surprise birthday party and subsequently trying to find the birthday boy. A tiny twist ensues just when all seems lost.

I think kids would love the fact that through all the preparations the main cat forgets to invite his best friend because he is so wrapped up into the party in the making. Kids will find the humor in that. They will also get that friendship means different things to different people, in this case, they are like brothers.

The illustrations are done largely and in darker colors. Each page has the characters almost filling the whole page with the words nicely highlighted within the only white parts of two-page spreads. The illustrations almost drive the book.

What makes this book interesting is the addition of Spanish words throughout the text, although, I do not consider this to be bilingual because it is not.. There is a glossary in front which is different from what I have seen with other books with glossaries.

This book included an audio CD but I could not get it to work on my laptop.

Overall, I like this book and give it 4 stars.

Disclosure: I obtained this book from my local library. The views presented here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon

[Madeline Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a cat throwing his best friend a birthday party since he did not know his birthday. He was from the pound and had never met his mother. So Chato threw his friend a fiesta and invited all of their friends. However, he forgot to ask Novio Boy. At the end of the book all is well and all animals are at the fiesta. The text uses some Spanish words however it gives a translation of the words at the beginning of the book. It is very well written. It has a very laid back tone. The characters are chill and like hanging out and partying with one another. At the end the reader can see the sense of family these characters have. In hispanic cultures family and friends are an important aspect of their culture.
The illustrations are very detailed with a flare of latino culture. The colors are dark however it is easy to determine what is being shown. The illustrations take up almost the entire two pages. With small places where the text was.
I think its important to have multicultural books in the classroom so that all students feel included. I want it to be accessible to all of my students. I would have this and many other books in my classroom to incorporate everyone. It is for an older audience so from 3rd-6th grade. Overall this was a very well done book.

[Daniel Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Chato is the coolest cat in the neighborhood and wants to throw a party for his friend Novio Boy. Novio Boy has never had a birthday party before so the community takes it on themselves to throw him a party. When the time comes to celebrate his birthday, others realize that they forgot to invite Novio Boy! Everyone goes looking for Novio Boy but he is nowhere to be found, so some people want to give up on the party. At the last moment, Novio Boy shows up and surprises everyone at his own party! The entire barrio celebrates with Novio Boy and go through the traditions of a Hispanic celebration.
Major Themes: Community, Traditions, Struggles vs. Unity
Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book because it expressed the true roots of the Hispanic Heritage while explaining a story that we can all relate to. The illustrations of the book made the characters come to life and embrace the Hispanic culture embedded in the book
Why I recommend this book: I would recommend this book because it gives outsiders a look into the Hispanic traditions that surround a celebration while telling jokes about a story we can all come to enjoy.

[Ch_beverlyatwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrator is Susan Guevara and since it was a CD, it was narrated by Willie Colon. This book won the Illustration Award in 2002 from the Pura Belpre Awards. The CD was copyrighted in 2005 by Live Oak Media. The book was copyrighted in 2000 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. The reading/interest level is ages 4-8.

Summary: Novio Boy came from the pound so he doesn't know when his birthday is. He is sad and quiet when attending another birthday party. He confides in his best friend Chato who decides to throw a birthday party to cheer up Novio Boy. Good plans go asunder when Chato forgets to invite the birthday boy. When guests go looking for Novo Boy to no avail, they even think that he died. Finally Novio Boy shows up at the party and everyone is happy.

I think that children would enjoy the narrator's telling of the story. The sound effects that are included heighten the story's interest. As far as a true depiction of Hispanic culture, I think it is lacking. The pictures remind me of graffiti in a city's neighborhood. Perhaps children would relate to that.

[Illyra Vote · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a Cat named Chato who decides to throw his cat friend Navajo Boy a party since he's never had one cause he was from the pound. Chato invited Sharkie the DJ and made a pinata, he also made beans and salsa for the party. Once the party day came everyone showed up except Chato forgot to invite the birthday boy! They ended up not being able to find him but Navajo Boy showed up and had been in a dumpster eating food the whole time. They then all danced and had a great evening together. This book is really weird, it has mexican language and improper grammar that reminded me of illiterate spanish children. I wouldn't recommend this book for a hispanic child because it could be seen as a jab to their culture and way of talking but maybe for an older spanish kid in fifth grade because it does use spanish words to cross over in English. The best part about this book is the glossary in the front that explains what the spanish words mean.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about the charismatic cat Chato, preparing to throw his best friend Novio Boy a birthday party, but when Chato forgets to invite the birthday boy, the fiesta is almost ruined.

The illustrations are colorful and cartoony, but border on the gothic with symbols and angels strewn throughout. The pictures definitely overpower the simple story of a friend trying to do something nice for another friend.

The writing is sprinkled with Spanish words and Spanish slang, complete with a glossary at the beginning. Some of the Latino characters’—drawn as cats, dogs and mice—clothes appear a bit stereotypical at first glance, Novio Boy wears a bandana that could be interpreted as gang colors, but the story about friendship breaks through the stereotypes to show the personified characters as human.

[Myrza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary, S. (2000). Chato and the Party Animals. New York: Putnam.
As I read this book it had me laughing on just about every page. I love the wonderful text and captivating illustrations that jut consumed my entire attention. This group of cats’ show their love and family like affection when they come together for a poor cat that has never had a birthday party before. As Chato the cat organizes the party and invites all the close friends, he forgets to tell Novio Boy the birthday cat. It is definitely a story that many can relate to in a sense of not having had a party for whatever reason, having a close family that goes out of their way to make you happy or just in the language used with mixed Spanish and English verbiage. In whatever way you can relate it will definitely be a captivating book to read.

[Dione Basseri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really feel bad for not liking this book more, since I feel it has several elements I like in picture books--bold art, animals, multi-lingual content--but the I feel like the raucousness of Chato and his friends puts me off. Chato certainly has good intentions and loves his friends, but he also threatens a toy dog. Then Novio Boy goes dumpster diving.

Also. There's something really, really off-putting about cats with mustaches. I covered up Chato's mustache in one picture, and things looked so much better. Human facial hair on cats is something I just can't get behind.

If you're looking for a multicultural book, this might be one to try, but definitely check it out from your local library before putting money into a purchase. Based on the reviews I've seen, this one is very hit or miss.

[Cate Mueller]

Chato and the Party Animals written by Gary Soto and illustrated by Susan Guevara tells the story of Chato a wild party animal. Hoever his best buddy Novio Boy does not like to party. He tells Chato they make him sad because he never had a birthday party because he is from the pound. So of course Chato decides to throw a birthday party for Novio Boy, and he pulls out all the stops. Chato cooks lots of delicious food for the party and Chato makes sure to invite all of his friends from the barrio. However in the chaos of cooking and planning, he forgets to invite Novio Boy, the guest of honor. They become sad as they can not find Novio. However, after reminding themselves of the good times with Novio, he shows back up and they all finally get to celebrate, giving a an ending theme of friendship.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how the author combined Spanish and English words. This would be an excellent book to allow kids who are learning Spanish or ESL students to read. It's mostly English so I wouldn't recommend it to a student who is only beginning to learn English.

This book could be used to help Spanish speaking students feel involved in the classroom because they could teach the class how to say the Spanish words correctly and/or tell us what each word means.

I would also use this book to teach children to use context clues. Even though the book provides a small glossary for the Spanish words, one who doesn't know Spanish could still figure out what the words mean by using context clues.

[Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about two cats, Chato and Novio Boy, is part of a series written by Gary Soto. In this story Chato and Novio Boy to a the neighbor dog’s birthday party. Novio Boy gets all depressed at the party because he remembers that he is from the pound so he never knew the day he was born. So later, Chato begins to play a birthday party for his friend Novio Boy. By the time the party has started he has realized that he forgot to invite Novio Boy! Chato and the other guests go looking for him at all of his favorite hang out spots only to eventually give up finding him because he was no where. Shortly after, Novio Boy shows up at Chato’s house and they give him the birthday party of a lifetime that he never had! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale of friendship is sure to delight with the antics of the cats (chatos) and their friends. Novio Boy is an orphan cat and has never had a birthday. His friend Chato decides to give him a surprise pachanga (party), but forgets to invite him! All Spanish words are presented in italics and the can be translated in the English/Spanish glossary at the front of the book. Illustrations are bold and detailed with decided Latino style. Excellent for a read aloud to introduce Spanish words to young readers or to help second language learners acquire English.

Use with lessons on friendship, beginning Spanish lessons.

[Erica J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely hilarious! I laughed during the entire book. The illustrations are fabulous; they really bring the book to life! I love the way the illustrator drew Chato, he matches his written character perfectly. I totally felt like he was a cool and vibrant cat! One aspect I truly found fascinating, was the glossary located in the front of the book featuring the Hispanic words sprinkled throughout the text. This book also brilliantly demonstrated the meaning of friendship. I would definitely use this book in my classroom. You could use this book with a number of themes including, character/compassion, community, friendship or culture to name a few.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chato and the Party Animals by Gary Soto is a story about Novio Boy, a cat from the pound, that doesn’t know the date of his birth. Because of this, he is sad and blue when his friends celebrate their birthdays. His friend, Chato, plans a birthday party for Novio Boy after discovering how upset he is during a dog’s birthday party. Soto uses slang speaking cats to portray the “life on the streets” Hispanic culture, and the illustrations support the text by depicting cats dressed in bandanas and baggie clothing. By doing this, the reader has a glimpse into the life on the streets and the importance of friends and family.

[L11-Mary Utterback · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this wonderful fiesta from Gary Soto. This book is full of the spanish language which further adds to the cultural meaning. These cats have a friend who is an orphan gato vato. While attending a friends birthday he becomes sad because he has never had a birthday. His friends decided to through him the best party ever. The dialogue between the characters is fun and humorous. The illustrations are big and very detailed. The cats are dressed in hispanic attire and the depiction of the el barrio really makes you feel like you are taking a spanish holiday.

[Alma Loredo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chato and Novio boy were invited to a birthday party. Chato realized that Novio Boy was sad. Then he realized that Novio Boy was never able to have a party and did not even know his mother. This always made Novio Boy really sad. Chato thought that everyone must have a party so he decided to have a party for Novio Boy the following day. He invited all his friends. Novio Boy was surprised and grateful. The moral behind the story is nice. But I do not like the way in which Hispanics are depicted. I have realized that Gary Soto has a similar theme in all this books.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute picture book by Gary Soto. Chato plans a surprised birthday party for his friend Novio Boy after hearing Novio talk about never having a birthday party because he had no family. Chato invited the mouse family DJ Sharkie and ordered a cake with mouse colored frosting. When party time came no one could find Novio Boy. The party guests took off across town to find him. When they finally gave up and accepted the fact that he might be dead, Novio Boy shows up. Then the party begins. I give this book 5 stars for the amazing illustrations (which is true for all of Gary Soto's books).

[Chris Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chato throws a surprise party for his best friend Novio Boy, who was born in the pound and never knew his birthday. I don't know. Would Latino students enjoy the Spanglish and the barrio setting? Probably. I wish the same story could be told using human being children in the barrio instead of the sleazy looking cats and dogs. And I'm confused by the rules of this animal universe. Cats, dogs and mice are all friends, yet Chato threatens a dog blow-up doll and orders canaries on top of the birthday cake? I'm not a fan of the illustrations either, which I found sloppy and distracting.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the story line in this book is so special. The cats are of the Mexican culture, and I loved that when Chato finds out that Novio Boy hasn’t ever had a birthday party, he hosts a birthday party for him. It shows the themes of friendship, and family, whilst teaching about the Mexican culture. Spanish-speaking students would love this book because of the Spanish words that are used throughout. I wish the pictures were a little more vibrant. They’re a little abstract at times, and I don’t necessarily think young students would really appreciate them.

[Jessie Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book it was very hard for me to read. It is part in english and part in spanish. I liked the story line thought and I thought it had very good art work. The art work was very busy but there was very detailed art.

My summary,
Chato and his friends go to a party and his one friend says he doesn't know when his birthday was. Chato decides to throw him a party he invites every but his friend doesn't show up to his own party. They look all over for him and finally they find him and they have a great party.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

These cats are so funny. If I could be a cat, I would seriously hang out with Chato. He organizes a party for his cat friend, Novio Boy and the party and the feast are illustrated brilliantly. I love the cholo attire, the long whiskers, the bandanas, and the large paws. I can see myself reading this picture book over and over again to my second graders. If anyone can understand making a friend feel better and throwing a birthday party, it's second graders!

I highly recommend this book, particularly now that we are full swing into National Hispanic Heritage Month.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest here and say that I had originally given this book 3 stars, but after hearing the audio edition 30ish times, and knowing that my 4-year-old has a crush on Novio Boy (Chato's best friend), I've changed my rating to 4 stars. There is a lot of subtle humor in this story, and all of the Chato stories, that readers may miss on the first, or even 10th reading. It helps if you're familiar with the Hispanic SoCal culture reflected in the story.
Oh, and Novio Boy is a really good looking cat. ;-)