Clatter Bash!: A Day Of The Dead Celebration

With rollicking rhyme--sprinkled with Spanish words--and vivid cut-paper art, the holiday known as Day of the Dead is celebrated in this spirited book that includes a two-page illustrated Afterword with factual information on special rituals, images, foods, and customs associated with this joyful Mexican celebration. Full color.

At dusk on the holiday known as the 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 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--sprinkled with Spanish words--captures the bone-rattling sounds and teeth-chattering delight of the evening. His vivid cut-paper art is sure to raise the spirits of young readers without frightening them. A two-page illustrated afterword gives factual information about el Dia de los Muertos, the reverent but fun festivity honoring relatives who have passed on, and the special rituals, images, foods, and customs associated with this joyful Mexican celebration.