'Los Gatos Black on Halloween' : Written by Marisa Montes Illustrated by Yuyi Morales : Henry Holt + Company, L.L.C. © 2006 : Montes includes every eerie, Halloween creature imaginable in her melodic text. Even so, there is no doubt that our central "Stereotypical Costume" is the Black Cat. With vivid descriptions, Montes creates a mysterious song that builds up speed until... RAP, RAP, RAP... there's a knock on the door. : This sound ushers in the plotline's ironic twist. All of the monsters at Halloween, will shutter and scream in FEAR of Trick-or-Treaters! : I LOVED it! Because of the text's rhyme scheme, I read this book out loud. It was amazing to hear the natural quickening of the text, as well as the anticipation that it built. Somewhere around the Wolf Man (Werewolf) spread I paused thinking, "This would be a bit frightening for some of my kindergartners." However, it's ending with all of the monsters being scares definitely helps extend the age range! : Also, as someone who has a background in Spanish and am invested in quality Bilingual Storytimes... I felt that this book toed the line. The glossary in the back supports the Spanish integration in the text while Montes' repetition and word context on each page makes comprehension accessible. : Not to mention, Yuyi Morales. I mean, it's illustrated by Yuyi Morales folks! Her choice to use darker, murky tones enhances the mysteriousness of the story. The dynamic surrealism and folk art influences in her work furthers this, as well. : It was amazing to see that in all of the spreads where Montes was describing monsters and their scarily absurd habits, the entire picture is off kilter. But, in contrast, when the children knock on the door, the painting is centered and sitting parallel to the page. Perhaps, an underlying commentary on fantasy and reality? Deep stuff, friends. : Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this Elementary School Library find. It makes me want to do an Illustrator Study Series and consider how Yuyi Morales' style has developed over the years, but for now... I'd recommend digging deep to find this book for Halloween next year! https://www.instagram.com/p/BpuY9OoH1QO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lp60a1fkgt25
