Bob Barner

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 show more 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. show less

This would be a great book to read before a field trip to the aquarium. I would actually read it twice. The first reading would be to enjoy the illustrations and read the rhyming part of the story. The second reading would be to read the facts about the fish and enjoy the illustrations again. This book focuses on vertebrates and invertebrates. Also, endoskeletons and exoskeletons. I like how the author uses comparisons of other mammals to get a better understanding of why each animal is show more categorized the way they are. For example, blue whales are endoskeletons like humans because we both have a backbone. There is a great chart in the back of the book that shows the different descriptions of animals compared to others. It is easy to read and kid-friendly. If the class were to take a trip to the aquarium, I would create a blank chart for students to fill in. When they come across the animal they could chart whether it is a vertebrate or invertebrate and why it would be in that category. show less

I enjoyed this book for the writing and the illustrations. The writing was very fun, engaging, and informative. Because the author included a song for children to sing along with, the learning of the bones can be fun and memorable. An example of this "Ankle bone connected to da leg bone." Young readers are learning while singing. On the page that follows the lyrics, there is factual information in more detail of the leg bone. The illustrations were another reason that I enjoyed this book. show more The skeleton is drawn smiling and laughing. This symbolizes happiness. Young readers are able to see the parts of the body the song and the factual paragraph is referring to. In the backs of the book, there is a drawing of a full skeleton and his bones are numbered. The numbers are matched with a list of bones and what they are. The central message of the book was to encourage readers to learn about the various bones in their body and how they are all connected for a common purpose of helping the body function. show less

Things like cars and trucks go. But everything stops when a family of ducks goes waddling by.

This is a very basic book with only a two-word sentence per page at most. It is especially helpful for very young readers who are just trying to sound out words on their own; alternatively, it could be a good read aloud for infants and toddlers with short attention spans. But I personally think something like Paul Meisel’s “See Me Play” checks the same boxes in a more clever and entertaining way.