Dia de Los Muertos

August 17, 2015
Village children and their families celebrate the Latin American holiday el Día de los Muertos by leaving gifts for departed loved ones in a cemetery, dressing up as ghosts and skeletons, and joining in a festive parade. Ballesteros’s digital art features blocky, geometrical forms, and he gives his smiling characters dot eyes and blunt, toylike features. Thong smoothly incorporates Spanish words into her playful verse: “We share in the foods that our guests loved to eat—/ fresh fruit and tamales, a holiday treat.” Readers may recognize similarities between Halloween and Day of the Dead traditions, though Ballesteros and Thong capture this holiday’s distinctive cultural flavor; one parade attendee, Luz, “looks like someone we’ve all seen before,” and the prominent eyebrow of her skeleton mask makes it clear she’s dressed as Frida Kahlo. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary Agency.

August 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-A festive and colorful celebration of the Mexican and Latin American holiday. Thong's rhyming narrative introduces the traditions practiced during El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead, from the sugary, skull-shaped candies (calaveras) and altars built in remembrance of the dearly departed to decorating tombstones and picnics at the cemetery. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout, sometimes defined through their context or otherwise included in the helpful glossary. From daybreak to nightfall, the holiday, often celebrated on November 1, is showcased as a town-wide event and is depicted as a family festivity. Ballesteros's vibrant and child-friendly art bursts off the page, sometimes overcrowding the tableau in a way that marries well with the partylike atmosphere. Mexican cultural references are made throughout, including cameos by Frida Kahlo, La Llorona, and the recently deceased Mexican actress and comedian Maria Elena Velasco, best known for her character La India Maria. The skeleton images made popular by Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada are also prevalent in each spread, but these almost jolly figures won't frighten young readers. Pair with Paul Bracegirdle's The Dead Family Diaz (Dial, 2012) for a themed storytime, or include in Halloween displays. VERDICT A jovial primer on the Latin American holiday for the uninitiated and a fiesta for those who already partake.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2015
As the title suggests, Thong and Ballesteros celebrate a Latino holiday that, though it is becoming increasingly more popular in all parts of the United States, is still somewhat misunderstood by non-Latino Americans. Thong (Green is a Chile Pepper, 2014, etc.) once again proves her mastery at creating a multicultural picture-book text that engages all readers. With an upbeat, celebratory tone, the collaborators introduce many of the traditions and images associated with Dia de los Muertos, known in English as the Day of the Dead. "At home we've adorned our altares with care. / They're heaped with recuerdos and good things to share...." The rhyme is rhythmic and effortless, making it a delightful read-aloud. The interspersed Spanish words are defined contextually rather than repeated in translation; this makes the text easy to understand regardless of readers' language skills and keeps it from feeling redundant for bilingual readers. Ballesteros' animated illustrations provide images of the Spanish vocabulary in many of the depicted scenes. Readers will feel the festive remembrance of loved ones who have passed. A glossary at the end provides explicit English definitions of the Spanish words, but it unfortunately lacks any pronunciation guide. This enchanting presentation of the Dia de los Muertos holiday will resonate with both those who are new to its traditions and those who have been celebrating for generations. (Picture book. 3-7)

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