'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title. Soto currently lives in Berkeley, California. Several of his books have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian. To get out of having dinner with Chatas comadres, Vic and Val use Mic and Huns tickets and get flung into the Underworld where they must partake in a party game of finding Huns body parts. Gary Soto is also one of the youngest poets to appear in the Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. His other credits include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the California Arts Council. 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 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. 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. The awards for this multi-talented author are many, ranging from the U.S. Gary Soto is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and fiction writer. His hard work paid off at California State University at Fresno, from which he graduated with an English degree, and later at the University of California at Irvine, where he earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. by Susan Guevara Themes: Birthdays, Friends, Communities, Latino Culture Grade Level: K-4 Running Time: 10 minutes SUMMARY Chato, a cool cat first introduced in Chato’s Kitchen, throws a birthday party for his friend Novio Boy. (Ages 5 to 9) -Emilie Coulter About the Author:īorn in Fresno, California to Mexican American parents, Gary Soto learned the hard work ethic through his share of chores, including mowing lawns, picking grapes, painting house numbers on street curbs, and washing cars. CHATO AND THE PARTY ANIMALS by Gary Soto, ill. A brief glossary provides English meanings to the Spanish words scattered throughout.

except ' Que tonto!' (How dumb!) Chato forgot to invite the guest of honor! Novio Boy's buddies search the alleys and warm car fenders to no avail, and soon are reminiscing about their dearly departed ('Kidnapped! Lost!') homecat, who, as it turns out, has a surprise in store for them all!Īs 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. Looks like the most happening shindig in town is ready to go. The party plans are set, the cake (with mouse-colored frosting and 'a couple of canaries on top') ordered, and the piñata made. 'I want you to come and spin some oldies but goodies.' 'It's Novio Boy's birthday tomorrow,' said Chato. So when he discovers that his best friend Novio Boy has never had a birthday party (being from the pound, he never even knew his mami), this cool cat from the barrio decides it's time to change all that.

Chato has been a party animal since he was a kitten.

Chato and the party animals