Grade Level: 2nd Grade and above
Illustrations By: Edward Martinez
I really enjoyed the book "Tonio's Cat". This book expresses the endearing relationship between a boy and his cat. Tonio moves from Mexico to California and have having difficulty adjusting. I think that this book represents the difficulty a new student could have in a classroom that they aren't culturally accustomed to. I also love the way Tonio stands up for the stray cat when others taunt it and poke it with a stick. This shows that he is courageous and isn't afraid to stick up for the cat even though he doesn't necessarily fit in with his new surroundings. Also when Tonio moved to the United States he had to say good bye to his dog. I think this could help students understand the hardship of saying goodbye to loved ones that is involved when an individual makes a move as drastic as coming from Mexico to the United States. I also really enjoyed how the other boys came to accept Tonio even though he wasn't part of their culture. Also language barriers were also addressed since Tonio was not fluent in English, which is one of the main reasons he found comfort in making friends with a cat. I think that this can signify the importance of welcoming individuals even if there is a language barrier. I hope to always use this method in my classroom especially with bilingual students becoming much more common. I think that if there is an establishment of comfort in the classroom these unique students will be more comfortable expressing their ideas and reaching new heights in the classroom.
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