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Narrated by Katherine Reinecke

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This reading of Los Gatos Black on Halloween was created as part of a graduate course, Preparing Instructional Media, at the University of South Florida. Los Gatos Black on Halloween was written by Marisa Montes, Illustrated by Yuyi Morales, and, in this short rendition, Narrated by Katherine Reinecke

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bruja- witch
calabaza- pumpkin
casa- house
dedos- fingers
escobas- brooms
esqueleto- skeleton
los gatos- the cats
luna- moon
meidanoche- midnight
momia- mummy
monstruo- monster
los muertos- the dead
música- music
niños- children
noche- night
ojos- eyes
perro- dog
puerta- door
las tumbas- the tombs

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...los esqueletos rattle bones

The skeletons with creaks and groans

Delight the night, in moonbeams dance

An awkward bow, a clattering prance

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Los Gatos Black on Halloween has a lot to offer a class that likes to hear scary stories that won't keep them up at night. The poetic pace of the story will keep students listening to every word.

The story appeals to both boys and girls because Halloween is a holiday for everyone. The striking illustrations, one of the book's greatest strengths, include boys and girls equally. I do not foresee either sex classifying Los Gatos Black as meant for the opposite sex.

There is no main character to portray an archetype for boys, but the children in the story are diverse, confident, and happy.

This story will be meaningful to the ESL students in a class. It will make them feel like their first language is not discouraged as it usually is.

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The work of Yuyi Morales is influenced by her childhood in Mexico. Her traditional painting of esqueletos and momias are frightening yet benevolent. Morales is also an award-winning author/illustrator with books such as Just a Minute and Harvesting Hope

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Marisa Montes is a native of Puerto Rico. She has written several books, among them is Juan Bobo Goes to Work, winner of a Pura Belpre Honor. She now lives in northern California with her husband and pets.

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I recommend this book to be read aloud to students in grades K-2. This story would be great for a international series during the last week of October. It would introduce students to how children in Mexico celebrate a holiday similar to Halloween. Told in a creepy tone with the lights lowered, this story would certainly cause the right amount of fright.

With a Spanish word on every page, Los Gatos Black on Halloween could also serve as an introduction to a foreign language.  A lot of the Spanish words are cognates, so students could use contexts clues to decipher their meanings. Because the story reads like a poem, I would read through it first then go back and point out the Spanish words for students to translate.

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The rhythmic story of Los Gatos Black on Halloween takes place in Mexico on the Day of the Dead. Page by page the story introduces traditional Halloween characters--black cats, jack o' lanterns, witches, zombies, vampires--as they head towards a haunted house for a party. The frightful fiesta rages until three raps at the door capture the ghoulish group's attention.