[.ca] Chatos Kitchen (ISBN 0698116003)

From Amazon.com:
"Chato, a low-riding cat with six stripes, was slinking toward a sparrow when he heard the scrape of tiny feet coming from the yard next door." You get the idea. Chato is a sly, mustachioed "cool cat" from an East Los Angeles barrio. The tiny feet? Those belong to the new mice (ratoncitos) next door--"five mice the color of gray river rock," to be precise. Chato promptly invites them over for dinner, in exactly the sense you might fear. "That Chato cat seems muy simpatico, very nice, I'm sure," says Papi mouse. The mice (being cheese lovers) spend the day making quesadillas for the fiesta, while Chato and his best friend Novio Boy busily prepare side dishes for a meal con ratoncitos. Instead of the anticipated gruesome ending, a surprise twist is in the works. Gary Soto, author of Too Many Tamales, is brilliantly witty, and Chato's Kitchen--an ALA Notable Book and a Parents' Choice Award Winner--is truly marvilloso. Susan Guevera's comical, deliciously detailed, richly colored depictions of the creatures are priceless as well, earning her the 1996 Pura Belpre Award for Illustration. A culinary concoction that no youngster (or adult) will be able to resist. (Ages 4 to 8)

Two Thumbs Up:
Chato's Kitchen is a magnificent book that can really attract the attention of young readers. The language that is being used and the way it is expressed truly makes it a great book. As one reads the book, there is never any part that becomes boring, infact it is fun to read all the way through. The amusing plot and story helps us understand it well. Gary Soto knows exactly what great literature is all about. I would really recommend this book to any person young or old, both will enjoy it!

Sleek and sophisticated:
A remarkably original book. The illustrations are well wrought, and the story contains some of the most evocative I_ve heard in a picture book. Describing Novio Boy_s collar, the book says it was, _a leather one with real gems that sparkled at night when cars passed in the street_. The cats themselves are a twinge odd. Drawn with cat bodies but human eyes, teeth, and moustaches, they are just disturbing enough to keep the pictures interesting. It_s a colorful book as well, full of beautiful swirling scenes and bold shapes. The use of Spanish throughout the text is seamless as well, never striking the reader as out of place or jarring. This book would read well with other stories that incorporate more than one language in their text. Or, kids could read it with other picture books that take place in Hispanic communities. Or, it could be paired with other stories where hungry preying animals fail to get a meal. A beautiful book to read aloud to groups.

One of the books I read the most!:
The book put me in a good mood. It is in English, but there are some Spanish words that are hard to read sometimes. I really liked the part when the cat was sneaking up behind the bird. The cat then heard the five mice walking, and he started swinging his tail to the rhythm of their walking. The cat goes up to the gate and ends up scaring the mice. That was only one of the funny scenes. The book has one more funny part at the end that I don't want to give away. Anybody who reads this book will love it!

Excellent Choice-Highly Recommend It!:
The grandparent's picked up this book for my 5-yr old and it instantly became a favorite..not just of her's, but of the whole family! The story-line is cute enough for kids and witty enough for adults and the detailed illustrations add to the genuineness of the characters and the setting. Gary Soto knows how to convey the Mexican American experience with style and humor.

Another Gary Soto hit!!!:
Any controversy surrounding this book is misplaced. It is a well-written story that entices children to want to to read it and other books. Rarely is there such a fine blending between the words of the author and the pictures of the illustrator. My students love this book and read it again and again.