Elisa Amado

The Day of the Dead is approaching in the small Guatemalan village of Santiago Sacatepéquez, and Juan and his friends get ready to make a barrilete, or kite, to be flown over the cemetery. Juan's Abuelo (grandfather) had always made the beautiful multicolored paper kite for their family, with his grandsons' assistance, but now that he has died, it falls to Juan to carry on the tradition...

With the exception of Birte Müller's Felipa and the Day of the Dead, which is set in Bolivia, every show more other book I have previously read about this holiday has been centered on Mexican and Mexican-American celebrations. Elisa Amado's Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead however, is set in the author's native Guatemala, and offers a view of a Day of the Dead tradition that is less well-known, here in the states. Unlike the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition, which is heavily influenced by Aztec culture and iconography, the traditions of this Guatemalan village are a product of Mayan culture. Santiago Sacatepéquez is known for its kite festival, which marks the Day of the Dead, and the kites themselves are apparently some of the largest in the world. I found this book both informative and engaging, and I appreciated Joya Hairs' accompanying photographs, taken in Santiago Sacatepéquez, although I did wish that more of them were in color. After all, Mayan artwork (including these kites) is known for its brilliant use of color! This is a blend of fiction and non-fiction, and truthfully, I found the latter more interesting, largely because the customs discussed were new to me. I was also fascinated to learn, from the author's afterword, that there are many different words for kite, in various Latin American countries - papalote in Mexico, chiringa in Puerto Rico, papagayo in Venezuela, etc. - and that barrilete is specific to Guatemala. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for Day of the Dead stories, especially if they are seeking ones that address non-Mexican traditions. show less

In my opinion this book was very interesting and would be an important book for children to read. This book takes place outside of the United States, and offers children a different cultural perspective. It is also a good book to discuss honesty and trustworthiness, considering that is the main theme in the story. The illustrations throughout this story were unique and detailed and I enjoyed being able to look at them on each page. I enjoyed the overall plot of the story as well. I felt as show more though I connected with the main character, considering she was so young and had to make such a righteous decision. It was up to her to decide if she wanted to tell her mom the truth about her tricycle, and get the neighbors kids in trouble, or allow them to enjoy her bike and not get in trouble. Even though she ends up not being honest to her mom, she makes the most brave choice, especially for a young girl. I enjoyed this message and I feel as though most classrooms should read this story. The idea of trustworthiness and honesty also plays into doing the righteous thing in this story, and Margarita does the most kind thing she can, knowing her family will be able to afford another bike. This book will push children to consider other perspectives, and learn important life lessons through the lives of the characters. show less

Simplified, yet stark and moving portrait of the plight of those living in the Northern Triangle of Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, all very dangerous places to live.

An attempt to humanize the asylum seekers trying to cross the United States' southern border from Central America, this book is well intentioned if not particularly well done. The narration of the young protagonist is just sort of awkward, and the writer and artist sometimes do not seem in sync with their words and images.

Also, I think the intended audience is children, but I'm not sure younger readers will be able to handle the very real, very bleak ending.