Smoky Night

By Eve Bunting
Illustrated by David Diaz

I suppose I never truly realized what a prolific writer Eve Bunting is.  I bought Smoky Night in near-new condition from a small-town library book sale for a quarter, and I have to say that it was definitely worth the money.  As the 1995 Caldecott Medal winner, this seems like the type of book I should have read as a child, but I don't have any recollections of it.

Anyway, that's all a bit besides the point.  Smoky Night begins with a small boy, Daniel, looking out his apartment window to the riots that are occuring below.  He doesn't really understand what riots are and why they happen, and his mother does her best to explain the situation.  Mostly he just watches in silence as the people below break windows and steal from shops.

Across the street, people drag cartons of food from Kim's Market.  Daniel knows Mrs. Kim, but not very well.  He and his mother have never gone into her shop because his mom says it's "better if we buy from our own people."  She also has a fat, mean cat that always fights with Daniel's cat.  He seems disinterested as the rioters tow her things away.

Later that night there is a fire in their apartment building.  Daniel is scared, but he and his mother (along with everyone else) get out safely.  But where is his cat?  He doesn't find out until later, when a fireman brings in both Daniel's and Mrs. Kim's cat.  "They were so scared they were holding paws," the fireman claims.

And that's when Daniel realizes.  "They probably didn't know each other before," he says.  "Now they do."  The rest of the room is very quiet, and doesn't say a word to Daniel's comment.  Then, his mom introduces herself to Mrs. Kim and says that she and her cat should come over to share a dish of milk sometime.

I think this is a really great book, for a number of reasons.  First of all, like other books by Eve Bunting that I've read, this story is very unique and offers children a perspective that many other books don't.  It's not very often that you can find a quality children's picture book that talks openly and honestly about riots and racial discrimination.  But Smoky Night covers both of these topics.  And not only that, but it shows that prejudices can be overcome - Daniel's mom never talked to Mrs. Kim or went into her shop until this life-changing event brought them together and forced them to open their hearts.

Another really amazing aspect of this book is the illustrations.  Diaz's acrylic paintings use bold lines and rich colors to convey the happenings of the book.  They are simple yet very vibrant, and do a great job of conveying the mood of the story.  Additionally, in this special edition print, the text and the illustrations are framed by unique photographed collages that include items that highlight the story (for example, on the page about the looters in Mrs. Kim's shop, the text and painting are both surrounded by a variety of spilled cereals covering a chalk-covered and cracked sidewalk).  The entire format of the book helps to bring the story to life.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book, and I think many other readers would too!