Illustrated by David Diaz
Caldacott Winner
The first thing that needs to be mentioned about this book is the art style. The illustrations are absolutely superb in this book. Painted illustrations aid in the setting the mood and telling the story, while the collage backgrounds somehow set the stage for the whole thing. It is hard to explain, and really must be experienced to be understood.
The book is an interesting perspective on the L.A. riots. For what would have been such a frightening time, the mood of the story is fairly calm. I believe this demonstrates the strength of the mother in the story. Her actions tell you that she is very concerned for her son's safety, yet she never loses her cool. The ending of the story demonstrates how tragic events like the L.A. riots can strengthen the bonds between members in a community, and bring them together.
Although this book may be centered around a very controversial time, I do not feel as though the book itself is at all controversial. I think it would be a great book to use and read during a civil rights unit, and you could have a discussion about the L.A. riots, and what the mood of the community must have been like before, during, and after that event.
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