Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Day of the Dead/El Dia de los Muertos: A bilingual Celebration
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 7
Holiday House, 2010 ISBN: 978-0823422142
The Day of the Dead is a unique holiday that is celebrated in Mexico and in parts of Central and South America. It is a time when people remember their deceased loved ones, when they “celebrate our ancestors.” For the three-day holiday, people cook lots of food and make “treats” that are only made at this time of year. They burn incense, and in the evening they take food, candles, flowers, and musical instruments into the cemetery where their loved ones lie. Under the stars they dance and sing “and remember the loved ones for hours.”
With unique cut and torn paper collage art, and a bilingual rhyming text, Bob Barner gives young readers a picture of what takes place during a Day of the Dead celebration. In addition to the main text, the author provides his readers with supplementary information about the Day of the Dead at the back of the book.
