Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

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Description

A Sibert Award Winner, Pura Belpr\u00e9 (Illustrator) Honor Book, New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2015 and International Latino Book Award Finalist!

Funny Bones tells the story of how the amusing calaveras - skeletons performing various everyday or festive activities - came to be. They are the creation of Mexican artist Jos\u00e9 Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852-1913). In a country that was not known for freedom of speech, he first drew political cartoons, much to the amusement of the local population but not the politicians. He continued to draw cartoons throughout much of his life, but he is best known today for his calavera drawings. They have become synonymous with Mexico's D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. Juxtaposing his own art with that of Lupe's, author Duncan Tonatiuh brings to light the remarkable life and work of a man whose art is beloved by many but whose name has remained in obscurity.

The book includes an author's note, bibliography, glossary, and index.

Reviews

Befitting its subject, the book communicates through its visual aesthetic. Tonatiuh integrates images of Posada's old-school calaveras with his own illustrations, done in the sophisticated style that has won him acclaimIt's wonderful to see the nuts and bolts of an artist's work presented so that children can understand the painstaking work involved in anything that looks cool and effortless. * The New York Times Book Review *

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Playful but informative, this picture book offers a fascinating introduction to the artist and his work."

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Tonatiuh skillfully blends his own distinctive style of digital collage and hand drawings not only to highlight events in Posada's life, but also to add whimsical elements by introducing contemporary calaveras. He incorporates amusing, thoughtful exercises for young readers into the narrative, prompting them to interpret the messages behind Posada's artwork... Tonatiuh further marks himself as a major nonfiction talent with this artistically beautiful and factually accessible offering that effectively blends artistic and political content for young readers."

**STARRED REVIEW**
"A wealth of biographical and contextual information... its a valuable introduction to Posada that will leave readers thinking about the process of creating art and the social impact it can have."

**STARRED REVIEW**
"The beautifully expressive Day of the Dead-inspired illustrations on heavy paper pages sport borders of bones, grinning skeletons, and Tonatiuh's signature figures shown in profile, influenced by the ancient Mexican art of his ancestors. Simple yet effective sentences accompany step-by-step images detailing the artistic processes that Posada learned as a printer's apprentice... A stunning work, with great possibilities for lesson plans or tie-ins with Day of the Dead."

Author Bio

Duncan Tonatiuh was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, in the historical state of Guanajuato, Mexico. His books, including A Land of Books, Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns, and The Princess and theWarrior, have received many awards over the years. He lives in San Miguel with his wife and children but travels to the United States often.