Dia de Los Muertos

by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, Carles Ballesteros (Illustrator)

Overview

2015 Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award: Multicultural Celebrations
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2016—CBC/NCSS

STARRED REVIEW! "Thong once again proves her mastery at creating a multicultural picture-book text that engages all readers…The rhyme is rhythmic and effortless, making it a delightful read-aloud…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."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

Celebrate life, family, and friends with the rich traditions of this special day!

It's Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and children throughout the pueblo, or town, are getting ready to celebrate! They decorate with colored streamers, calaveras, or sugar skulls, and pan de muertos, or bread of the dead. There are altars draped in cloth and covered in marigolds and twinkling candles. Music fills the streets. Join the fun and festivities, learn about a different cultural tradition, and brush up on your Spanish vocabulary, as the town honors their dearly departed in a traditional, time-honored style.

SPANISH DESCRIPTION

¡Es el Día de los Muertos y todos los niños del pueblo y ciudad están listos para celebrar! Decoran con calaveras lo calavera de azucar, pan de muertos y banderas. Hay altares cubriertos de manta con muchas flores, y velas parpadiendo. Musica llena las calles. Hay que unirse con los festivales y abrender una diferente cultura y traduciones y repasar el vocabulario en español, mientras el pueblo honra sus queridos en una tradución con el transcurso y con el estilo del tiempo.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807515778
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	157,924
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Roseanne Greenfield Thong was born in California, but lived abroad for 18 years (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Guatemala and Mexico). Her multicultural children’s books have received international recognition in the Hispanic and Asian communities. Her book, Green Is a Chile Pepper was a 2015 Pura Belpre honor book.

Carles Ballesteros was born near Barcelona, Spain. He now lives in Chile, where he teaches art classes and illustrates picture books and greeting cards.

Read an Excerpt

Día De Los Muertos

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By Roseanne Greenfield Thong

ALBERT WHITMAN & Company

Copyright © 2015 Roseanne Greenfield Thong
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1566-2

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CHAPTER 1

It's Día de Los Muertos, the sun's coming round, as niños prepare in each pueblo and town.

For today we will honor our dearly departed with celebraciónes — it's time to get started!

At home we've adorned our altares with care.

They're heaped with recuerdos and good things to share ...

Sweet calaveras, so sugary white — they give toothy smiles, but never a fright.

A black-and-white photo of Grandpa Padilla, who's riding on horseback just like PanchoVilla!

And toys for remembering small angelitos, a train and a dollhouse are both favoritos.

Then off to the graveyard we head with ofrendas and colorful blankets to make meriendas.

We carry incienso and velas to burn that will guide spirits back for their yearly return.

And bursts of caléndulas, fragrant and bright — the color of sunsets and gold candlelight.

A path of pétalos will help lead our guest to pillows and blankets for taking a rest.

Above we hang streamers of papel picado that wave in the breeze like a rainbow pintado.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Día De Los Muertos by Roseanne Greenfield Thong. Copyright © 2015 Roseanne Greenfield Thong. Excerpted by permission of ALBERT WHITMAN & Company.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

2015 Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award: Multicultural Celebrations
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2016—CBC/NCSS

STARRED REVIEW! "Thong once again proves her mastery at creating a multicultural picture-book text that engages all readers…The rhyme is rhythmic and effortless, making it a delightful read-aloud…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."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

"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.'"—Publishers Weekly

"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…A jovial primer on the Latin American holiday for the uninitiated and a fiesta for those who already partake."—School Library Journal

"Spanish words are so seamlessly woven throughout the text that readers unfamiliar with the terms will easily grasp their meanings through context and accompanying illustrations…A great choice for readers who celebrate the holiday and those wanting to learn more about it."—Booklist Online

From the Publisher

08/17/2015
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. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 2015-05-06
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 Día 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 Día 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)

Kirkus Reviews