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Los Gatos Black on Halloween (by Marisa Montes)

common sense media says

Haunting rhymes create ghoulish treat.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that kids older than 5 who expect Halloween to be spooky and scary will love this book. Younger readers might find some illustrations and characters disturbing, including the walking dead and werewolves. Some of the English/Spanish rhyming text may be confusing. Spanish and English words are used interchangeably in the rhymes, and kids might pick up some vocabulary.

Educational value: Teaches some Spanish words.
Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence & scariness: Eerie cartoon depictions of skeletons, graveyards, etc., could be scary for young kids.
Language: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Los Gatos Black on Halloween

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about different Halloween traditions. Why do we dress up? Why do we carve pumpkins, look out for black cats, and worry about skeletons, witches, and ghouls? This also would be a good time to discuss Mexico's Dia de los Muertos and its traditions.

What's the story?

What's the story?
Black cats, witches, skeletons, and ghouls come out on Halloween night, and at the midnight hour join other creatures of the night for a party in a haunted mansion.

They dance and party until, with a sudden "rap, rap, rap," they are interrupted by the scariest of intruders.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN is a remarkably original Halloween book that is especially enjoyable when read aloud. Each set of pages presents a cleverly written quatrain set playfully against the gray tones and rounded lines of the somewhat surreal illustrations.

The poetry finds perfect balance with the amazing paintings, all playfully humorous yet eerie and strange. Lines mix English and Spanish words, which flow musically against the backdrop of the spine-tingling illustrations to create a simple story in which traditions of an American Halloween intermingle with the Mexican Dia de los Muertos. Marisa Montes adds a clever twist, drawing her story to an interesting conclusion that will surprise and entertain kids and adults.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Marisa Montes
Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
Publication date: August 22, 2006
Number of pages: 32
Hardcover price: $16.95
Read Aloud: 5
Read Alone: 7
This review was written by Patricia Tauzer
 
 

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
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