LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN by Marisa Montes and illustrated by Yuyi Morales is about the ghosts, witches, and monsters preparing for a Monster Ball on Halloween. This rhyming book is written through the Latino tradition of the importance of this holiday , which the Latinos call "Day of the Dead" in their culture. Interspersed throughout the book are Spanish words for different characters and aspects. For example, "Las brujas guide their broomsticks high, The witches on ecobas fly." At the end, the monsters are frightened of opening the door to disguised human ninos. The author includes a glossary at the end.
The illustrator's, Yuyi Morales, childhood is evident in her illustrations. Her artwork depicts her life in Mexico with the homes, serapes, and embroidered dresses in the artwork. The art is striking and the detail makes the reader want to look at each picture closely to discover some different detail each time. Yuyi Morales won the Pura Belpre award for her illustrations which exemplified Latino culture.
I can't wait to use this book at Halloween with my students! As teachers we are always getting the students to use context clues to determine the meaning of a word. This book presents the opportunity to do that very thing with Spanish words. It also allows the opportunity for the English speakers to understand what the Spanish speakers go through when they are given a book written in English. This could lead to great discussion and understanding of other cultures and their struggles.
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