Smokey Night

By: Eve Bunting

Illustrated By: David Diaz

This multicultural children book expresses the traumatic and emotional aspects of the riots of Los Angeles with abstract pictures and simplistic language. The story is told from a young African American boy, named David, point of view. Throughout the book readers see the issue of racism and acceptance from Daniel's mom and Mrs. Kim, their Korean next door neighbor and store owner. Daniels mom would not shop at Mrs. Kim store - because she believed that they should only shop at stores of "the same kind". The only thing that these two people knew about each other was that they both had a cat, even though they lived in the same building. Throughout the book, readers hear about riots in the street and they have experienced racism personally. When their building burnt down and both cats were lost and then found together - we see an attitude change in Mrs. Kim and Daniels mom. Daniels mom thought it was interesting that these cats didn't even know each other but were together. Daniel said that " they probably didn't know each other before. Now they do." Daniel statement became relevant to Mrs. Kim and his mom too - at the end of the book these two different people become accepting and got to know one another. 

Classroom Application: This book is a very thought provoking Smokey Night could be used to teach students about riots - what it is like to be in a riot and some of the reasons for rioting. Students could research incidence of rioting in the U.S. and what is common and different around them.