Chato and the Party Animals - Softcover

"Homecat," Chato meowed. "You awake?"
"I am now, dude," Sharkie said.
"It's Novio Boy's birthday tomorrow," said Chato. "I want you to come and spin some oldies but goodies."

As in the award-winning Chato's Kitchen, Susan Guevara's modish paintings of these barrio beasts beg to be pored over, while Gary Soto's barrio-speak screams out to be read aloud. A brief glossary provides English meanings to the Spanish words scattered throughout. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

Gary Soto is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and fiction writer. The awards for this multi-talented author are many, ranging from the U.S. Award for International Poetry Forum in 1977 for his first published book of poetry, The Elements of San Joaquin, to a Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award in 1985 for Living Up the Street, his first published work of prose recollections. His short story collection Baseball in April, was named an American Library Association's Best Book for Young Adults, and he received the Bura Belpre Award for Chato's Kitchen. IHe has also received the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video for Pool Party, and was nominated for a National Book Award.

His other credits include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the California Arts Council. Gary Soto is also one of the youngest poets to appear in the Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. Several of his books have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian.

Mr. Soto currently lives in Berkeley, California.