Clatter Bash!: A Day of the Dead Celebration

(Paperback)

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Description

Get ready for a colorfully entertaining Day of the Dead celebration! Graveyard skeletons shake, rattle, and roll as a Mexican family marks the annual Day of the Dead holiday. At dusk on the holiday known as Day of the Dead, a Mexican family has set out fiesta offerings in the graveyard in hopes that departed loved ones may return to visit. The playful skeletons rise from their graves to celebrate with gusto. All night long, they sing, dance, dine, tell stories, and play games. As morning approaches, they give thanks to the stars for their night of fun, tidy up after themselves, and leave no trace of their "clatter bash" behind as they return to their coffins until next year's Day of the Dead. Author-illustrator Richard Keep's rollicking rhyme_x2015_sprinkled with Spanish words_x2015_captures the bone-rattling sounds and fun of the evening. An illustrated afterword gives information about the customs associated with el Di_x0301_a de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration of honoring relatives who have passed on.

Reviews

"[A] zesty look at a special night. . . The joy on the characters' skeletal faces and in their excited movements is apparent as is their love of the lives they had. Small skeletons remind readers that even children are among the dead, and the beautiful details of the various aspects of the celebration reflect its Mexican roots. An afterword explains the holiday and its customs. This will be a popular title in Mexican-American communities and an eye-opener for others." School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Clatter Bash! not only offers a wonderful opportunity for cultural education, but also a reason to explore the topic of death. In fact, its upbeat tone and picture would likely bring comfort to those mourning the loss of a loved one."Janet Boyer

Author Bio

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Richard Keep was a teacher before becoming an children's book creator, sometimes collaborating with his wife, author Linda Lowery. After living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for eight years, he now resides in Tennessee.