Winner of the 2008 Belpre Award for Illustration

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

by Marisa Montes is the winner of the 2008 Belpre Award for Illustration. I think boys will especially love this book of creepy and spooky creatures that lurk around late at night on this Halloween Day. The author incorporates Spanish words and converts them into a bilingual rhythmic poem describing a moonlit Halloween night. The use of dim turquoise and brown hues illuminated with fuchsia and flame orange colors help set the spooky-like tone. The reader will practically encounter every object associated with Halloween such as "los gatos negros," las brujas," "los esqueletos," pumpkins, mummies, wolfman, ghouls, zombies, and much more. They are all parading towards a haunted "casa" so they could have a "monstrous ball." However, at the end of the story a group of trick-or-treaters crash their party and they all retreat.

I think this book will be loved by many young readers, especially boys, because of the creepy characters. One of the book's strengths is the glossary that is found at the end of the book to help the none Spanish speakers. Young elementary readers might be frightened with some of the illustrations but overall it's a keeper in my classroom library.