Module 5: Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes

 

Summary: This spooky Halloween story describes, through words and illustrations, all the spooky things one might meet on Halloween night including black cats, carved pumpkin heads, witches, skeletons, and vampires.  As these creatures parade through the town, they come together at a party where they meet the thing they are the most afraid of, kids trick-or-treating on Halloween.

APA Reference: Montes, M., & Morales, Y. (2006). Los gatos black on Halloween. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Impressions: The words and illustrations are both spooky and flowing in Los Gatos Black on Halloween.  The jack-o-lanterns are really eerie, and you can practically hear the skeletons rattling and creaking as they walk.  While all the illustrations look like part of a spooky Mexican society, the words are an interesting combination of both English and Spanish.  This is the perfect book for a Halloween or Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

Professional Review:
K-Gr. 2. A spooky array of Spanish and English text describes fantastical Halloween happenings in this Pura Belpré Illustrator Medal winner set at the Monsters' Ball at Haunted Hall. Morales' playful illustrations, in muted Halloween tones, make this a good choice for Halloween or Day of the Dead- themed storytimes.

Lucia, M. G. (2009, January). [Review of the book Los gatos black on Halloween, by M. Montes & Y Morales]. Book links, 18, 37.  Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/offices/publishing/booklist/booklinks 


Library Uses: Read at a bilingual story time with either a Halloween or a Dia De Los Muertos theme.  A learning experience could be created if one page was read all in Spanish and another in English, substituting the Spanish words for English as needed.  Then activities could be done comparing Dia De Los Muertos to Halloween.  This would provide a rich cultural experience for all those in attendance.  It would also be fun to take the story out to the local elementary schools to share with specific classes or library groups.