From October 31 to November 2, people in Mexico celebrate the festival of el Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. This photodocumentary follows Pablo and his family as they prepare to honor the memory of Pablo’s grandmother. Ancona’s photographs catch the affirmation of life that fills the Mexican festival arising from both Aztec and Christian customs honoring the dead.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
Butterflies On Carmen Street/ Mariposas En La Calle Carmen
\”Today is Butterfly Day!\” Julianita excitedly tells her grandfather as they make their way down Carmen Street to school one morning. Today is the day Julianita and her friends have been waiting for–they\’re going to learn about monarch butterflies. But what\’s even more thrilling is they\’re each going to receive their very own caterpillar to raise! When Julianita gets hers, she names him Tiger because of his striking yellow and black stripes. Ms. Rodríguez teaches her students all about the monarch. But Julianita already knows that they fly south thousands of miles every winter because her grandfather remembers seeing the beautiful monarchs in his village in the highlands of Mexico. As the children feed and care for their caterpillars, they anxiously anticipate the transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. When Tiger finally emerges from his chrysalis, Julianita doesn\’t want to let him go. She worries that he will get lost on his way to Mexico. \”Tiger knows the way to Mexico because it\’s in his heart,\” her Abuelito reassures her. She feels sad to see Tiger fly away, but Julianita knows that someday, she will follow him to her grandfather\’s magical Mexico. Paired with April Ward\’s charming illustrations that depict Julianita\’s neighborhood–her home on Carmen Street, the bench where Abuelito rests in Palo Verde Park, her parents\’ store that sells everything in the whole wide world–this book by award-winning author Monica Brown is sure to entertain and educate kids ages 3-9. This is a perfect choice for children learning about insects and the forces of nature.
La Isla
When Rosalba and Abuela travel to la isla, the island where Abuela grew up, Rosalba meets Abuela’s son, Fernando, and his family and samples the sights of the island. By the creators of Abuela.
I’m New Here
Boys At Work
Celebrate! It’s Cinco De Mayo!
It’s Cinco de Mayo! Everyone is celebrating the holiday in their own way. “Mama marches in the parade. Papa plays in a mariachi band. Abuelita cooks a special meal.” Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo? A very simple history of the holiday is interspersed with the story of a young boy celebrating Cinco de Mayo with his family. This bilingual book features a section with “find what’s missing” pictures and simple crafts perfect for any child’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. Loretta Lopez’s engaging and cheerful pictures complement Janice Levy’s child-friendly introduction to this important Mexican holiday.
Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: America’s Sproutings
Rin, Rin, Rin / Do, Re, Mi
Written in both Spanish and English, a young child asks his parents to “sing to me, say letters to me, rhyme with me, count with me, read with me.” Like Read To Your Bunny, Rin, Rin, Rin/Do, Re, Mi is a book that has two purposes–as a fun picture book and as advice for parents who want to give their children a foundation in literacy. This book features lyrics and music by Jose-Luis Orozco, a beloved performer among Latino communities, as well as wonderful artwork by Caldecott artist David Diaz.
Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House
Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat who wants to be a Chihuahua dog, despite his mother’s efforts to make him think “Siamese.”