The story in Smokey Night by Eve Bunting is one of hope. In our world today there seems to be so much division amongst us. I have never lived in a big city but have definitely seen the ravages of poverty and ignorance. The community where I work is very similar to an inner city. Both the elementary school were I started my teaching and the middle school I now call home are Title I schools. I see the prejudice and poverty these students come from on their faces. It is a sad situation.
Smokey night addresses these same issues. A young boy, his cat Jasmine and his mother are forced to leave their apartment due to fire from the riots in the streets below. The building houses many ethnic people who up to this point have keep to themselves. This exodus brings the people together who realize that we are all the same.
Eve Bunting uses two different mediums for her illustrations. She used acrylics on Arches watercolor paper. The backgrounds are a collage photograph. She uses a lot of texture in her backgrounds to include things relevant to the story.
This is another of my favorites when teaching the Caldecott award books.
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