Illustrated by David Diaz
This book brings a lot of controversial topics to the table. Daniel is a young boy living with his mother in an apartment. One night, there is a riot in the streets below them. People are screaming, and breaking into stores and stealing. Over and over things are stolen until finally it quiets down, and the crowd moves to another street. Hours later Daniel and his mother are awoken by a fire in their building. They're evacuated, but Daniel's cat, Jasmine, is missing. Daniel's neighbor Mrs. Kim is also missing her cat. Once at a nearby shelter, a fire fighter brings the two cats back and says they were found together. Daniel realizes that the two cats might not have gotten along previously because they didn't know each other, which prompts Daniel's mom to reach out to Mrs. Kim.
This story not only talks of riots, but also speaks a lot to racial stereotypes. Mrs. Kim is a chineese woman and Daniel and his mother are black. Mrs. Kim has a store down the street, but Daniel and his mother never shop there because it's better to buy from their "own people."This book is an interesting one because of how many controversial issues it addresses. At the end, Daniel's mother realizes that she has never reached out or tried to get to know Mrs. Kim due to her race, and Mrs. Kim realizes the same. The two decide to try and get to know each other and bridge the gap created by race. This book is told from the point of view of a child which makes it very powerful.
The illustrations are similar to that of King and King in that paper and other material are used, and than a picture is taken. The material used relates to the words on the page, and add a lot of texture. There are also pictures put in frames over the textured pieces. It adds a lot to the story and really sets the mood.
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