Uncle Monarch and the Day of the Dead

Together with her beloved Tío Urbano, Lupita looked forward to the return of the monarch butterflies every year - those gossamer-winged beauties which were, according to her uncle, the souls of departed loved ones - whose arrival heralded the coming of Día de Muertos - the Day of the Dead. One of the most important holidays in the Mexican year, Día de Muertos was a day to remember family members who had died, to celebrate their lives, and to care for their graves. When frail Tío Urbano dies, just days before the celebration, Lupita finds extra meaning in the day...

Mexican author Judy Goldman, who has published a number of children's books in Spanish, weaves together family tale and holiday story in Uncle Monarch And the Day of the show more Dead, which had me tearing up on my train-ride this morning. The accompanying color pencil illustrations by René King Moreno have a beautiful, impressionistic quality to them, perfectly capturing the beauty of the monarchs, and the warm affection between Lupita and Tío Urbano. An excellent book, both to introduce Día de Muertos to young readers, and to address the topic of the death of a loved one, this is one I highly recommend! show less

This book is good for primary students.
Lupita learns about The Day of The Dead from her uncle and learns about the importance of Monarch butterflies in her culture, when her uncle passes away the holiday and the butterflies help her to cope with the loss.
This book could be useful for teaching students about other cultures and about encountering grief and loss.

This is a sweet story about a girl and her uncle, who dies as the Day of the Dead is approaching. She takes comfort in the Monarch Butterflies. The return every year before the Day of the Dead and her Uncle believes they are the souls of departed loved ones returning. This is a good book for American children to read. The Mexican people use the day to celebrate the ones who cam before them.