Review: The Day of the Dead / El Día de los Muertos
Title: The Day
of the Dead / El Día de los Muertos
Author: Bob Barner
Translator: Teresa
Mlawer
Publisher: Holiday
House
Year: 2011
(bilingual edition)
Paperback: 32 pages
Ages: 4 – 8
IBSN: 978-0823423811
Summary
Award winner children's author Bob Barner and
translator Teresa Miller introduce young children to the celebration of the Day
of the Dead, known in Spanish as El Día de los Muertos. In very basic terms,
children learn that people from Mexico and parts of Central and South America
remember and celebrate their ancestors during the Day of the Dead.
They make
offerings and delicious traditional foods, such as tacos and empanadas. They
pack everything up and get ready before the sun sets. At night, they light
candles, mark a path for the spirits with petals, sing, and dance. The
celebration is hours long.
Comments
The book explains in a simple way the
celebration of the Day of the Dead. I thought that the cheerful and colorful illustrations,
which are cut-paper collages, give a sense of how beautiful the celebration must
be. The text is great for bilingual kids because it is both in English and Spanish.
At the end of the book, a section titled About
el Día de los Muertos provides detailed information about the celebration.
This book is excellent for Mexican and Central
and South American families who want to start teaching their children about
their traditional celebration. Definitely, this book also inspires children,
parents, and educators, who are not familiar with el Día de los Muertos, to
learn more about it. We are a Puerto Rican/Cuban American family, and now we want to learn
more about our fellow Hispanics' celebration of the Day of the Dead.
Comments
Post a Comment