DAYS OF THE DEAD
by Kathryn Lasky & illustrated by Christopher G. Night
An unforgettable photo-essay of a farm family in rural Mexico by Lasky (The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, p. 1131, etc.; Beyond the Burning Time, see p. 1410) and Knight, the husband-and- wife team that most recently produced Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth (1993, ALA Notable Book). Los D°as de Muertos, the Days of the Dead, are the Mexican equivalent of Halloween. We follow the de Jesus family as they prepare for the celebration to honor their dead. The small amount of historical exposition, tracing the holiday to Aztec traditions, does not distract from the portrayal of this fascinating holiday and culture. There are hints that Mexican farm life is profoundly different from our own—for example, in the family's matter-of-fact attitude as it visits the grave of an infant sibling. Imbued with a strong sense of death as a natural part of life's cycle, these photographs show a rich life. A revealing, thoughtful exercise in multiculturalism. (Glossary) (Nonfiction. 8-12)