UNCLE MONARCH AND THE DAY OF THE DEAD

Lupita’s uncle dies a few days before the important celebration of Día de Muertos, when the souls of the dead are welcomed back by friends and relatives with special foods and flowers in cemeteries. It was Tío Urbano who taught her about the fall migration of the monarch butterflies to central Mexico and who told her to respect them because they are “the souls of our dead ones.” The soft colored-pencil illustrations depict the arches of cempazuchitl flowers (marigolds as brightly orange as the butterflies), the cut-paper designs, or papel picado, and the funny skeletons and skulls, known as calacas, that decorate the houses and graveyards at this time in November. Multicultural customs and monarch butterflies are favorite subjects in classrooms, and this offering nicely combines the two. While the book’s details are appropriate for younger grades, the unassuming story is ultimately rather slight. Try George Ancona’s Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead (1993), with its vibrant photos, to give readers a stronger experience of the holiday. (glossary, note) (Picture book. 6-8)