Los Gatos Black on Halloween (English With Some Spanish)
by Marisa Montes (Author) Yuyi Morales (Illustrator)
Follow los monstruos and los esqueletos to the Halloween party in this bilingual poem written by Marisa Montes, with illustrations by award-winning author and illustrator Yuyi Morales
Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet!
This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season.
Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Illustration and a Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative.
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Publisher's Weekly
Halloween and the Day of the Dead overlap in this atmospheric, bilingual romp. Montes ("Juan Bobo Goes to Work") composes serviceable stanzas, using English and Spanish words as synonyms: ""Los gatos" black with eyes of green, / Cats slink and creep on Halloween." This dual-language approach can be redundant ("At "medianoche" midnight strikes..."), yet Morales ("Harvesting Hope") holds readers' attention with surreal, faintly macabre spreads in dim turquoise and clay-brown hues, illuminated by fuschia and flame orange. Witches fly broomsticks like skateboard whizzes, a headstone references Mexican comic Cantinflas and sallow-faced "muertos" dance until children arrive: "The thing that monsters most abhor/ Are human "niños" at the door!" Ages 4-8 (Sept.)
Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission
School Library Journal
Gr 1-4 - Montes smoothly incorporates Spanish terms into a rhythmic poem describing a moonlit Halloween night. "Los esqueletos" rattle bones and clatter in a dance, "los fantasmas" -drag their chains - and -shriek their pains, - and "los muertos" emerge from their graves to join other creatures at a haunted "casa" for music and dancing. However, the party stops dead with the arrival of trick-or-treaters, which causes the frightened spooks to hide, for -The thing that monsters most abhor/Are human "niñ os" at the door! - The full-bleed paintings create a creepy mood with curving lines, fluid textures, and dusky hues. Rounded figures dance across the atmospheric spreads, which depict blank-faced skeletons, a toothy werewolf, and a child zombie with glowing eyes. The pictures are eerie enough to tingle spines, but the effect is leavened with bits of humor (witches perform skateboard tricks on their brooms, a vampire admires himself in a mirror that reflects only his clothing). The poem -s cadenced rhymes and descriptive language build suspense until the satisfying ending. Spanish words are easy to understand in context, but are also defined in a glossary with pronunciation guides. This book is just right for children who are beginning to find typical Halloween fare a bit too tame." -Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission
Review quotes
Montes was educated at University of California - Santa Cruz and then continued on in law school at University of California - Hastings College of Law. She practiced law for a few years, moved into legal publishing and then finally became a full time children's writer. Her diverse background has enabled her to write in a variety of genres, in several languages. She has written two mystery novels, Something Wicked's In Those Woods, A Circle of Time and two picture books, Juan Bobo Goes To Work and Egg-Napped! Her books have won several awards, including the 2003 WILLA Literary Award.
Her most recent project is the series Get Ready for Gabi!, published by Scholastic Inc. Illustrated by Joseph Cepeda, the series includes A Crazy Mixed Up Spanglish Day, Who's That Girl?, No More Spanish!, Please Don't Go! and All in the Familia. This series, praised as realistic fiction, demonstrates to children the wonders of bilingualism. Gabi is a funny, spunky Latin American protagonist that provides inspiration to children.
Marisa Montes currently lives in Northern California with her husband David.
Mr Cepeda received his BFA in illustration from California State University, Long Beach in 1992 and also studied Engineering at Cornell University. He is the illustrator of awarding-winning picture books such as What a Truly Cool World and Nappy Hair.
JUV017030 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Halloween
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
