Smoky Night (Caldecott Medal Book)

In a night of rioting, Daniel and his mother are forced to leave their apartment for the safety of a shelter. Diaz has not been afraid to take risks in illustrating the story with thickly textured paintings against a background of torn-paper and found-object collage. Without becoming cluttered or gimmicky, these pictures manage to capture a calamitous atmosphere that finally calms. . . . Both author and artist have managed to portray a politically charged event without pretense or preaching.--The Bulletin