What do you think?
Rate this book
Los Gatos Black on Halloween
Follow los monstruos and los esqueletos to the Halloween party
Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet!
This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season.
Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Illustration and a Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative.
Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet!
This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season.
Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Illustration and a Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2006
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
November 5, 2009
Why is it that Halloween is such an "over and done with" holiday the moment November 1st rolls around??? This came late to the library and seemed SO passé, but I was compelled by Chandra's glowing review to read it NOW rather than wait another 362 days. I'm glad I did. This is definitely a "treat" in the Halloween picture book category. The rhyme flows effortlessly and enjoyably, the Spanish words are easy to "interpret" even without the glossary and serve to enhance the flavor of the story without causing stumbles or questions, and the illustrations (while at times a bit creepy for my taste!) are marvelous--very expressive and atmospheric with a wide assortment of Halloween ghosts and ghouls. (And I loved looking for the adorable black kitty on each page!) The ending is quite a delightful surprise and I think kids will enjoy the "twist" on who is truly scared of whom on Halloween nights. Highly recommended!
October 12, 2018
Told in rhyming couplets, this deliciously creepy Halloween picture-book also incorporates a healthy dose of Spanish words (as seen in the title itself) into the narrative, making it something quite unique, when it comes to holiday fare for younger readers. "Los gatos black" slink and creep, "Las brujas" fly before the moon, and "Los muertos" rise from their graves, all converging upon a haunted mansion for a Halloween celebration. But when the truly frightening ones - "Los Niños" - appear, the creatures of the night decamp with speed...
Although there is a glossary at the rear, the narrative of Los Gatos Black on Halloween is so cleverly constructed, that there is little need for it. The English equivalent of each Spanish word quickly follows it, making this a story that both entertains and instructs. The illustrations, by Yuyi Morales - whose bedtime book, Little Night , was so beautiful - really capture the creepy appeal of the tale. This is just a fabulous Halloween book, with visual and verbal scares aplenty, and I thank my friend Chandra for bringing it to my attention!
Although there is a glossary at the rear, the narrative of Los Gatos Black on Halloween is so cleverly constructed, that there is little need for it. The English equivalent of each Spanish word quickly follows it, making this a story that both entertains and instructs. The illustrations, by Yuyi Morales - whose bedtime book, Little Night , was so beautiful - really capture the creepy appeal of the tale. This is just a fabulous Halloween book, with visual and verbal scares aplenty, and I thank my friend Chandra for bringing it to my attention!
November 11, 2009
Oh, I just loved this book. Thank you Chandra and Kathryn for your reviews; they inspired me to read this, and just a week and a half past Halloween.
This book is seriously scary and might be too frightening for some young children, but it is so entertaining.
I was thrilled that with my limited Spanish I understood all the Spanish words in this book. (There is a Spanish-English glossary in the back of the book if the reader isn’t able to understand all the Spanish words.)
The story, told as a poem, uses the Spanish words along with their English counterparts so that even if the reader wouldn’t know a word on its own – I knew a fair number but not all of them – it’s easy to figure out the meanings of all the words. The twist ending of the story is very well done and will appeal to young trick-or-treaters.
The illustrations are interesting and detailed and appropriately Halloween atmospheric, and a few are kind of terrifying, but probably not overly so for most. It’s fun to look for the black cat(s) that appears on each page.
This is a wonderful book for Halloween time.
This book is seriously scary and might be too frightening for some young children, but it is so entertaining.
I was thrilled that with my limited Spanish I understood all the Spanish words in this book. (There is a Spanish-English glossary in the back of the book if the reader isn’t able to understand all the Spanish words.)
The story, told as a poem, uses the Spanish words along with their English counterparts so that even if the reader wouldn’t know a word on its own – I knew a fair number but not all of them – it’s easy to figure out the meanings of all the words. The twist ending of the story is very well done and will appeal to young trick-or-treaters.
The illustrations are interesting and detailed and appropriately Halloween atmospheric, and a few are kind of terrifying, but probably not overly so for most. It’s fun to look for the black cat(s) that appears on each page.
This is a wonderful book for Halloween time.
September 30, 2022
3.5 stars. I think this book might be a little scary for little kids. It’s written so the Spanish words are easy to figure out but there’s also a glossary in the back. Funny ending.
October 9, 2020
Beautiful artwork always by Yuyi Morales
November 1, 2018
I found this less than 2 months before reading it and was looking forward to it. I thought it was going to be so good, and I liked how Spanish words were integrated so I could learn a little more of that language. I thought this was going to be so much better than it turned out to be.
I didn't like the illustrations at all. I thought it was going to be so easy to determine what the Spanish words meant in English, but it wasn't always clear. The first page led me to believe I'd have no trouble translating. It mentioned "los gatos" black with eyes of green, and showed black cats, so that was a no-brainer. I had heard of ojos-eyes-before. Once it said "Some unseen dedos--fingers--play, and that worked well.
The Spanish words weren't integrated that well most of the time.
"Las calabazas, fat and round, carved pumpkins guard a hallowed ground."
It's odd to repeat the word pumpkins in the next sentence like that.
"Las brujas guide their broomsticks high, the witches on escobas fly."
"Los esqueletos rattle bones. The skeletons with creaks and groans."
"Next los fantasmas drag their chains; The ghosts, the phantoms, shriek their pains."
It was weird to say next the phantoms..and then the ghosts, the phantoms.
The worst for me was: "At medianoche midnight strikes." At midnight midnight strikes??
"Las tumbas open, tombs awake."
I found the constant use of the same words right after each other to be really awkward and clumsy and distracting. It impeded on the reading and wasn't a good format.
There was no plot and not much of a story. I thought it was going to be about cats, as the whole title implies. Black cats are my favorite so I was expecting a charming tale. But it was kind of all over the place, with all kinds of Halloween creatures and just relating their names in Spanish and coming up with rhyming actions for them to take. Then all of a sudden it wanted to be a very overused and mundane thing. Idk how many times I've read books where monsters get together and party, and they're all afraid of humans. It's not anywhere near original and I just don't like it. Crazy, scary creatures are afraid of the trick-or-treaters. It's been done so many times that it was just annoying. In here, "monsters most abhor" human kids and "of all the horrors they have seen, the WORST are kids on Halloween."
And then the story just ended. No conclusive ending. What happened to the trick or treaters standing in the doorway? What did the monsters do? Bam, it was over and the ending was so unsatisfying.
I was really disappointed with this. It wasn't cute or charming. The only good thing was learning some new words, and there was a glossary at the back which was really helpful and appreciated. I didn't like looking at the images at all. There were so many more words that could have been in Spanish, like the cats eyes as verde instead of just green, so I felt like a lot of opportunities were missed.
I didn't like the illustrations at all. I thought it was going to be so easy to determine what the Spanish words meant in English, but it wasn't always clear. The first page led me to believe I'd have no trouble translating. It mentioned "los gatos" black with eyes of green, and showed black cats, so that was a no-brainer. I had heard of ojos-eyes-before. Once it said "Some unseen dedos--fingers--play, and that worked well.
The Spanish words weren't integrated that well most of the time.
"Las calabazas, fat and round, carved pumpkins guard a hallowed ground."
It's odd to repeat the word pumpkins in the next sentence like that.
"Las brujas guide their broomsticks high, the witches on escobas fly."
"Los esqueletos rattle bones. The skeletons with creaks and groans."
"Next los fantasmas drag their chains; The ghosts, the phantoms, shriek their pains."
It was weird to say next the phantoms..and then the ghosts, the phantoms.
The worst for me was: "At medianoche midnight strikes." At midnight midnight strikes??
"Las tumbas open, tombs awake."
I found the constant use of the same words right after each other to be really awkward and clumsy and distracting. It impeded on the reading and wasn't a good format.
There was no plot and not much of a story. I thought it was going to be about cats, as the whole title implies. Black cats are my favorite so I was expecting a charming tale. But it was kind of all over the place, with all kinds of Halloween creatures and just relating their names in Spanish and coming up with rhyming actions for them to take. Then all of a sudden it wanted to be a very overused and mundane thing. Idk how many times I've read books where monsters get together and party, and they're all afraid of humans. It's not anywhere near original and I just don't like it. Crazy, scary creatures are afraid of the trick-or-treaters. It's been done so many times that it was just annoying. In here, "monsters most abhor" human kids and "of all the horrors they have seen, the WORST are kids on Halloween."
And then the story just ended. No conclusive ending. What happened to the trick or treaters standing in the doorway? What did the monsters do? Bam, it was over and the ending was so unsatisfying.
I was really disappointed with this. It wasn't cute or charming. The only good thing was learning some new words, and there was a glossary at the back which was really helpful and appreciated. I didn't like looking at the images at all. There were so many more words that could have been in Spanish, like the cats eyes as verde instead of just green, so I felt like a lot of opportunities were missed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2009
Such a cool book for Halloween! The poetic verse blend English and Spanish words together (with a glossary of Spanish translation in the back) and the pictures are absolutely amazing. Although it gets a little scary when all the dead things wake up, the ending is a funny and fearless one for children. Great for use with K-2, especially in bilingual classrooms where students may enjoy seeing familiar Spanish words blended with newer English words.
May 2, 2017
What a clever way to introduce Spanish words for Halloween! I loved the illustrations, especially the little black cat that appears in every picture except the ones inside the mansion. In one picture there's even a little skeleton kitten. This is a great book for giving an Hispanic flavor to the October holiday.
May 12, 2016
Per Miss Maley's First graders: I loved it! It rhymes. It's very awesome. She's a great writer. She is funny in the books. It was fantastic. It was inspiring because of the illustrations were so good. It was scary. It was very terrifying.
September 20, 2019
Unpleasant illustrations and Spanglish.
October 23, 2019
This was such a cute children’s book! The poem and story is gripping and the imagery beautiful! Learning the Spanish names of key Halloween words was an added treat and trying to find the little black kitten in each scene made the reading experience very fun! There is also a glossary in the back that lists all the Spanish words used in the book in both plural and singular form and includes their interpretation and a guide on how to pronounce them.
October 15, 2019
Very fun Halloween story. Great for Spanish speakers. Used it with a kid who doesn’t speak much. He copied the sounds.
May 18, 2008
Halloween is my favorite holiday and now it has a new tradition: a book to be read on October 31, and throughout the year.
"Los Gatos Black on Halloween" is as rich and delicious as a slice of pumpkin pie. All the creepy creatures from the other world are gathering for their yearly bash at the local haunted house. Ghosts and Ghouls, Witches and Vamps, dance and cavort until the scariest monsters of all come trick-or-treating at the door. Marisa Montes' rhyming text is spot on.
And Yuyi Morales' illustration kick the whole thing up to an even more supernatural level. She layers rich cultural references (Is that an Aztec giving the conquistador the raspberry?) and witty humor (the vain vampire checking his hair IN A MIRROR) into her astounding artwork, reminiscent of the finest Mexican muralists.
This little trick is a definite treat.
"Los Gatos Black on Halloween" is as rich and delicious as a slice of pumpkin pie. All the creepy creatures from the other world are gathering for their yearly bash at the local haunted house. Ghosts and Ghouls, Witches and Vamps, dance and cavort until the scariest monsters of all come trick-or-treating at the door. Marisa Montes' rhyming text is spot on.
And Yuyi Morales' illustration kick the whole thing up to an even more supernatural level. She layers rich cultural references (Is that an Aztec giving the conquistador the raspberry?) and witty humor (the vain vampire checking his hair IN A MIRROR) into her astounding artwork, reminiscent of the finest Mexican muralists.
This little trick is a definite treat.
September 25, 2014
Perfect for those children who are looking for a slightly creepy possibly a little scary book. Montes uses rhyming text to speak about the creepy monsters and things that may be about on Halloween. Yuyi Morales helps tell the tale with fantastic illustrations that are slightly creepy, but not too frightening for the young readers. There are Spanish words sprinkled throughout, but the text always provides plenty of support for those readers unfamiliar with the vocabulary if the illustrations aren't enough.
October 12, 2018
Ahhh great Halloween book! Just creepy enough for my Halloween-loving preschooler. But he doesn’t actually get scared of witches and ghosts and skeletons. He thinks they’re great. Great rhyming too.
August 1, 2017
So delightfully spooky and atmospheric! Love it!
October 15, 2017
Pretty boring.
October 6, 2018
I absolutely love this book and it’s a great addition to adding a little Spanish vocabulary into your Halloween fun.
October 13, 2020
I love the flow of this little poetry picture book about Halloween. It is a great way to incorporate Spanish and English, making this title good for ESL students. The story is just creepy enough to give a little chill! Lots of good figurative language too.
October 12, 2020
A splendid spooky wicked blend of Halloween and the Day of the Dead in this bilingual rhyming poem of monsters enjoying a midnight ball. But when a rap comes to their door they are confronted by the scariest monsters of all.
October 30, 2021
The best Halloween picture book! So spooky!
October 22, 2017
As a student studying elementary education and Spanish, it was so great to see two interests combine! In this novel, Marisa Montes writes a story about Halloween while incorporating and teaching children many Spanish words. My first thought about this book is that it would be great to read with ESL students, those whose first language is Spanish, as it would introduce them to many new English words while also including words in Spanish that they are already familiar with. In addition to this, this book has a great usage of rhyming words, making it perfect for an early elementary read aloud or an independent reader for upper elementary students. While the words in this book are great, the artwork truly helps contribute to one’s overall understanding of the book. The artwork begins on the dust jacket with a beautiful wrap around image of a black cat and other Halloween items. Within this book, all pages are full double spread images, giving children a substantial amount of images to look at and analyze. I believe the most powerful thing about this artwork for children is that the artwork accurately depicts a Halloween mood through using dark colors to create an eerie feeling. While the artistic media used is not listed in this book, the artwork has definitely used a form of painting. As the artwork appears to have several layers, I believe the illustrator has used oil painting to create this artwork. The moody setting is one that I believe can best be depicted through oil painting. While the artwork helps children visualize a spooky Halloween night, it also helps children experience new cultures as the illustrator paints to reflect her childhood in Mexico. With this in mind, this book would be great to introduce children to the unique ways holidays are celebrated in other countries.
November 8, 2017
I listened to the book on cd for this one - it was fantastic! I loved the music and sound effects. The book is neat!
January 23, 2023
This was the one I most excited to read, so I saved it to read for last.
I loved the idea of reading a book that showed another culture, and learning words in another language. And a story about a black cat sounded cute.
I didn’t like how a Spanish word was followed by an English one, because it was confusing.
‘Los fantasmas drag their chains;
The ghosts, the phantoms, shriek their pains.’
I thought los fantasmas might mean ghosts, but because it was in English, I thought that can’t be it, because it wouldn’t be said twice. Then I thought it was phantoms, and that word was also there in English. That’s when I looked it up and learned that, surprisingly, it did mean ghosts.
Here’s other examples:
‘La momia wails, the mummy stalks.’ I figured la momia meant mummy, but then it’s said again. If you’re reading in English, it sounds a bit weird: ‘the mummy wails, the mummy stalks.’
‘At medianoche midnight strikes.’ Here again, medianoche means midnight. So it says at midnight midnight strikes.
I liked the way this sentence was written: 'Some unseen dedos--fingers--play.' Because you could see the translation right after, and perhaps the whole book should have been that way, instead of using the English word after as if it's a completely different word in Spanish.
I liked the lines at the end that rhymed: ‘They hold up bags, yell trick or treat! Los monstruos beat a quick retreat.’
‘The thing that monsters most abhor are human ninos at the door!’
It was humorous to think monsters are afraid of humans. Although I've seen this in books and movies before, so it was nothing new.
I wasn’t expecting it to end when it did, which is the case in a lot of children's books.
This wasn’t as good as I was expecting. I went in with high hopes, and books usually never live up to that. I was disappointed by this.
Looking back, I don’t know why it was titled Los Gatos Black, because the story wasn’t really about a cat. They were mentioned in the beginning, and then never again. The title is misleading, and is why I was disappointed in this, because I thought the plot would be very different.
The illustrations weren't my style, and the images were all dark.
The thing I liked best was learning words in Spanish. I knew a few already, but I liked learning more. I had to look up a few because I couldn't figure out what they meant, but most you could figure out by the illustrations. I liked the glossary at the end of all the Spanish words in the book.
Reread: 1-24-23.
Bumped up rating one star
I loved the idea of reading a book that showed another culture, and learning words in another language. And a story about a black cat sounded cute.
I didn’t like how a Spanish word was followed by an English one, because it was confusing.
‘Los fantasmas drag their chains;
The ghosts, the phantoms, shriek their pains.’
I thought los fantasmas might mean ghosts, but because it was in English, I thought that can’t be it, because it wouldn’t be said twice. Then I thought it was phantoms, and that word was also there in English. That’s when I looked it up and learned that, surprisingly, it did mean ghosts.
Here’s other examples:
‘La momia wails, the mummy stalks.’ I figured la momia meant mummy, but then it’s said again. If you’re reading in English, it sounds a bit weird: ‘the mummy wails, the mummy stalks.’
‘At medianoche midnight strikes.’ Here again, medianoche means midnight. So it says at midnight midnight strikes.
I liked the way this sentence was written: 'Some unseen dedos--fingers--play.' Because you could see the translation right after, and perhaps the whole book should have been that way, instead of using the English word after as if it's a completely different word in Spanish.
I liked the lines at the end that rhymed: ‘They hold up bags, yell trick or treat! Los monstruos beat a quick retreat.’
‘The thing that monsters most abhor are human ninos at the door!’
It was humorous to think monsters are afraid of humans. Although I've seen this in books and movies before, so it was nothing new.
I wasn’t expecting it to end when it did, which is the case in a lot of children's books.
This wasn’t as good as I was expecting. I went in with high hopes, and books usually never live up to that. I was disappointed by this.
Looking back, I don’t know why it was titled Los Gatos Black, because the story wasn’t really about a cat. They were mentioned in the beginning, and then never again. The title is misleading, and is why I was disappointed in this, because I thought the plot would be very different.
The illustrations weren't my style, and the images were all dark.
The thing I liked best was learning words in Spanish. I knew a few already, but I liked learning more. I had to look up a few because I couldn't figure out what they meant, but most you could figure out by the illustrations. I liked the glossary at the end of all the Spanish words in the book.
Reread: 1-24-23.
Bumped up rating one star
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2017
I adore Yuyi Morales's work and so thought this would be a great book to read around Halloween and Day of the Dead. It was! It turned out to be a little too spooky for Berry (not yet two), though she was fascinated/unsettled by the skeletons. I loved that the author included the Spanish words, as well as the English equivalents so that people could figure out what the words meant without the provided glossary. I'll definitely be reading this one again for future Halloweens!
November 6, 2014
Los Gatos Black on Halloween is the perfect Halloween picture book. It has witches, skeletons, vampires, and monsters. The illustrations are dark, beautiful, and charming. The text is fun and rhymes. Oh yeah, and it helps teach readers Spanish in a clever way! It's just fantastic. There's a fun story about all of the Halloween creatures getting together to have a spooky Halloween dance, until something even scarier interrupts them. The book is great to read aloud because of the rhyming and meter that lends itself to being read aloud.
Yuyi Morales' illustrations are very ornate and done in an interesting style. She uses lots of dark colors to contrast the small portions of light, and uses extensive shadows. Her Halloween characters are very detailed and expressive, but never frightening because of the kind and fun expressions on their faces. She blurs her paints together a bit to create a neat aesthetic of a shadowy Halloween night. Finally, seeing all of the creepy creatures dance together in this art style is silly and a treat to see.
Marisa Montes' text is equally as impressive as the illustrations. Each page has a rhyming four line stanza that flows nicely and describes the action taking place. Every page also has at least one Spanish word in the text which is italicized. However, the lines around the Spanish word and the pictures offer lots of helpful hints for readers to decipher the meaning of the words. Also, there is a Spanish glossary in the back of the book to help out any reader who really struggles. The book is awesome for telling a fun story, and teaching readers some Spanish along the way. It is like a far less annoying version of Dora the Explorer that you actually want to watch. I would highly recommend this book, especially around Halloween.
Yuyi Morales' illustrations are very ornate and done in an interesting style. She uses lots of dark colors to contrast the small portions of light, and uses extensive shadows. Her Halloween characters are very detailed and expressive, but never frightening because of the kind and fun expressions on their faces. She blurs her paints together a bit to create a neat aesthetic of a shadowy Halloween night. Finally, seeing all of the creepy creatures dance together in this art style is silly and a treat to see.
Marisa Montes' text is equally as impressive as the illustrations. Each page has a rhyming four line stanza that flows nicely and describes the action taking place. Every page also has at least one Spanish word in the text which is italicized. However, the lines around the Spanish word and the pictures offer lots of helpful hints for readers to decipher the meaning of the words. Also, there is a Spanish glossary in the back of the book to help out any reader who really struggles. The book is awesome for telling a fun story, and teaching readers some Spanish along the way. It is like a far less annoying version of Dora the Explorer that you actually want to watch. I would highly recommend this book, especially around Halloween.
November 7, 2017
Josie x 2
October 29, 2017
Great book! Fun to read with a spooky cadence, lots to learn, and wonderful illustrations!
October 20, 2010
Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a multicultural picture book that I read and also listened to in NON-PRINT, CD. The audio was amazing! The author read the book with a rhythmic spooky cadence that was mesmerizing and hauntingly scary!
This Halloween bilingual story won the 2008 Pura Belpra Award, the 2008 American Library Association Notable Book for Children Award and the 2007 American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award.
Marissa Montez and Yuyi Morales have created an amazing fusion of rhyming text and bold colorful curvy line illustrations that combines English and Spanish throughout this Halloween/Day of the Dead story. The ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and skeletons are invited to a Monster Ball at Haunted Hall. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. The party stops with the arrival of neighborhood children trick –or-treating. The Monsters are frightened and hide until the children leave.
The Spanish words that are mixed throughout the text are easy to understand in context and there is a glossary of terms, with pronunciation guides in the back of the book. The descriptive language and fluid rhyming text build a heightened suspense until the conclusion.
I would recommend this book for children Kindergarten through second grade. I would read it to students for a Halloween read aloud to set the tone for a spooky fun day, for the descriptive text in English and Spanish and the wonderfully scary illustrations.
This Halloween bilingual story won the 2008 Pura Belpra Award, the 2008 American Library Association Notable Book for Children Award and the 2007 American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award.
Marissa Montez and Yuyi Morales have created an amazing fusion of rhyming text and bold colorful curvy line illustrations that combines English and Spanish throughout this Halloween/Day of the Dead story. The ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and skeletons are invited to a Monster Ball at Haunted Hall. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. The party stops with the arrival of neighborhood children trick –or-treating. The Monsters are frightened and hide until the children leave.
The Spanish words that are mixed throughout the text are easy to understand in context and there is a glossary of terms, with pronunciation guides in the back of the book. The descriptive language and fluid rhyming text build a heightened suspense until the conclusion.
I would recommend this book for children Kindergarten through second grade. I would read it to students for a Halloween read aloud to set the tone for a spooky fun day, for the descriptive text in English and Spanish and the wonderfully scary illustrations.
October 18, 2012
Grade/interest level: Upper Elementary (3-5)
Reading level: 3.2 (Lexile N/A)
Genre: Poetry, Multicultural
Main Characters: Various (black cats, vampires, witches, skeletons, phantoms, zombies, mummies, corpses, werewolves)
Setting: Cemetery, Haunted Mansion
POV: Unnamed Narrator
On Halloween, the creatures of the night decide to come together and throw party. Black cats with glowing yellow eyes slink along streets and alleyways, while witches ride their broomsticks through the air. The dead rise from their graves, skeletons and ghosts alike, and make their way towards the meeting place: a haunted mansion. Every monster is having a fun time dancing to music played on harpsichords, until the scariest creatures of all knock on the door. Groups of human children, one dressed as a pizza slice, one a cowgirl, and one as a bug, have stumbled upon the party during their trick-or-treating. This is a problem for the partygoers, as they all are scared of children, so they run and hide until they go away.
I really like how Montes uses Spanish vocabulary in this Halloween poem and the way the illustrator incorporate hints of Mexican culture in the artwork. I would use this book as a standalone to read near Halloween for students. If I have a poetry unit in October, I could also incorporate it in that sense.
Reading level: 3.2 (Lexile N/A)
Genre: Poetry, Multicultural
Main Characters: Various (black cats, vampires, witches, skeletons, phantoms, zombies, mummies, corpses, werewolves)
Setting: Cemetery, Haunted Mansion
POV: Unnamed Narrator
On Halloween, the creatures of the night decide to come together and throw party. Black cats with glowing yellow eyes slink along streets and alleyways, while witches ride their broomsticks through the air. The dead rise from their graves, skeletons and ghosts alike, and make their way towards the meeting place: a haunted mansion. Every monster is having a fun time dancing to music played on harpsichords, until the scariest creatures of all knock on the door. Groups of human children, one dressed as a pizza slice, one a cowgirl, and one as a bug, have stumbled upon the party during their trick-or-treating. This is a problem for the partygoers, as they all are scared of children, so they run and hide until they go away.
I really like how Montes uses Spanish vocabulary in this Halloween poem and the way the illustrator incorporate hints of Mexican culture in the artwork. I would use this book as a standalone to read near Halloween for students. If I have a poetry unit in October, I could also incorporate it in that sense.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews