The Day of the Dead

Written by Bob Barner

Narrated by Rita Moreno

Follow two youngsters in a celebration of their ancestors on this vibrant Latin American holiday.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Weston Woods
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780545600743

Bob Barner

Bob Barner has written and illustrated more than 25 books. When not creating books, he likes to present his work at schools and libraries around the world. He lives in San Francisco.

Reviews for The Day of the Dead

[barrettolivia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dia de los Muertos, or in english known as Day of the Dead, is a holiday celebrated in Latin America honoring the death of ancestors. The book represents all the things that go along with this special holiday and the specific events that go along with it. Flowers, skulls, and food are staples of this celebration in order to honor the lives lost within family. The illustrations represent the mexican style that goes along with the holiday, which is mostly colorful skeletons, skulls, and flowers. It is important for children to be aware of other holidays that are not there own, and recognize the diversity between cultures and religion in other parts of the world; this way, they become more accepting and understanding in the huge world that surrounds them

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Author/illustrator Bob Barner offers an engaging celebration of the Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos for preschool children in this brightly-illustrated bilingual picture-book. The rhyming text describes the activities that people engage in on this holiday, which honors the spirits of one's ancestors and deceased relatives and friends. From the special treats to the decorations for the graveyard, from the singing to the dancing, this is a day to pray, to remember, and to celebrate...Pairing Barner's simple text in rhyme - translated into Spanish by Teresa Mlawer - with lovely collage and mixed media artwork, The Day of the Dead / El día de los muertos offers a happy, upbeat look at a holiday celebrated in Mexico, a number of other Latin American countries, and parts of the United States. Although there is an afterword giving more information, I would have liked to see some discussion of the Day of the Dead as it relates to Allhallowtide (All Saints Eve, All Saints Day, All Souls Day), with which it coincides, and from which it takes some of its traditions. For me, one of the most fascinating aspects of Day of the Dead is its syncretism, blending European Catholic and indigenous Aztec beliefs. Of course, this is well outside the scope of this simple picture-book to explore fully. That said, some mention of All Souls/Saints Day would have allowed young readers to make connections between this cultural tradition and others the world over. Leaving that missed opportunity aside, this was an entertaining and engaging book, one I would recommend to any preschool teacher or storyteller looking for Day of the Dead titles.

[ahernandez91 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good book at effectively explaining The Day of the Dead in a simple way for young children. The book is bilingual, first starting with English, directly followed by Spanish. At the end of the book there is an "About" section for describing this event with more details. It would be a great book to read to an elementary Spanish class in October when the holiday is celebrated or even in a general classroom to inform other cultures about the October Spanish holiday.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A warm, colorful celebration.

[emilydrennan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a story written in Spanish and English that depicts traditions of the mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead is a day to celebrate family members who have passed away. This story educates the reader about the different food made for this holiday and how it works. Candles are light, a path for the spirits is marked with flowers, people dance and sing, and remember their loved ones. This story depicts symbols associated with the Day of the Dead and really educates the reader about the holiday. Students need to be knowledgeable about different cultures and be able to recognize their holidays. As an activity, a classroom could set up an altar like the one used on the Day of the Dead to help the students visualize the holiday.

[nmillsio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bob Barner’s short, cute book “The Day of the Dead” (“El Dia De Los Muertos”), serves as an excellent introduction to the holiday for a young child. The text consists of six rhyming couplets accompanied by Spanish translations by Teresa Mlawer (that do not rhyme). It would be fun to read this to a young child; I’d certainly recall my high school Spanish skills and read it to children in both languages. Barner’s illustrations are bright and friendly, and thankfully do not attempt to be frightening or morbid. This book can be used without the reader tackling the daunting task of explaining death to a three-year-old. There is a section at the end titled “About el Dia de los Muertos” that the reader can choose to read to their audience or not depending upon their age. Also, the "About" serves as a nice summary of the holiday, which as I found out in class night, is not very familiar to a large portion of adult Americans.

[lekenned · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A great book for exposing children to holidays around the world.

[kerriemierop · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Day of the Dead: El Dia De Los Muertos is a wonderful bilingual book about the celebration of the Day of the Dead. It easily explains the preparations the family goes through along with the celebration of ancestors. This is a great beginning book and for those who are learning Spanish, a great book to help convert English into Spanish and Spanish into English.