More Books for the Day of the Dead!

A special thanks to Monica for getting the ball rolling! We were thrilled to find some other fantastic books for the Day of the Dead in addition to those already mentioned. You can find all of the titles on the new Colorín Colorado booklist (also available in Spanish).

What's so great about the wide range of titles out there is that they each focus on unique and different aspects of the celebration, whether it’s a young girl spreading a path of marigolds from the cemetery, a group of skeletons dancing in the moonlight, or a family in the U.S. that is mixing Halloween customs with its Day of the Dead celebration.

And of course, we can't forget the butterflies! Many of the books incorporate beautiful stories and illustrations of the returning Monarch butterflies throughout the story in heartwarming ways.

Here are three more tales for Day of the Dead, in which a child is looking for some hope after losing a loved one:
Uncle Monarch and the Day of the Dead
By: Judy Goldman
Illustrated by: Rene Kind Moreno

Day after day, Lupita and Tío Urbano watch the Monarch butterflies arrive. Urbano says they are the souls of the dead arriving in time for El día de los muertos. When Urbano becomes sick and dies soon after, Lupita feels only sadness - until she sees the Monarchs and remembers Urbano's words.

This hearwarming book not only conveys the magic of the Monarchs' return, but also the hope and comfort that the Day of the Dead offers when we miss our loved ones.

A Gift for Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead
By Nancy Luenn
Illustrated by: Robert Chapman

When Abuelita dies, Rosita's father encourages her to make a gift that she can leave at the altar on the Day of the Dead. Rosita likes the idea - but what can she make? This touching story captures the sadness of a losing a loved one and the comfort of fond memories. Bilingual text.

What is particularly memorable about this book is the artwork. Illustrations made out of cast paper add such a unique dimension to the story that you will find it hard to believe that you can't reach out and touch the texture of the illustrations!

The Spirit of Tío Fernando: A Day of the Dead Story
By: Janice Levy
Illustrated by: Morella Fuenmayor
Nando has many loving memories of Tío Fernando, which he thinks of as he and his mother prepare the family altar for the Day of the Dead. When Nando goes to the market to look for things that remind him of his uncle, he wonders just how he will know that Fernando's spirit has returned. Bilingual text.

What I found so special about this book was the rich attention to detail - Tío Fernando's long, skinny legs, a papier-mache skeleton riding a horse, a tablecloth embroidered with yellow-and-green birds. Every time I re-read this book, I found a new detail I had missed before...perhaps Fernando is trying to tell me something!

Happy reading, everyone!