Smokey Night

Smokey Night by Eve Bunting

This book has been considered to be controversial because of the subject matter it takes on with the Las Angeles riots and cultural differences. While a young boy watches below his apartment window with his mother, they witness the looters roam the streets. Along with their cat going missing, they have discovered that their neighbor who they don't talk to because of cultural differences is missing as well. As soon as the community comes together in the end to escape the fires and the two cats eventually teach the humans a lesson about getting along with each other. The authors illustrations atop great collages help to illustrate the looting on the street.