Mi familia calaca / My Skeleton Family

July 22, 2013
Oaxacan folk artist Zárate creates papier-mâché sculptures of Day of the Dead–style skeletons that grin widely as a young skeleton named Anita introduces her family. In brief sentences that appear in English and Spanish, Anita discusses her younger brothers Miguel (“He’s a brat”) and Juanito (“He’s so cute!”), as well as her parents and other older relatives. The, well, skeletal sentences make it easy for readers to draw connections between the English and Spanish words, and Zárate’s sculptures exude personality, whether it’s baby Juanito smiling in a stroller, wearing a powder-blue onesie, or the children’s “beautiful mother,” decked out in a pink dress and pearls. Ages 1–6.

September 1, 2013
Though they are skeletons, this family couldn't be friendlier. Canseco Zarate's papier-mache sculptures grin out at readers broadly, as only skeletons can. Weill's bilingual text gives them voice in both English and Spanish. Big sister Anita, wearing a yellow dress with red flowers and patent-leather Mary Janes, introduces first herself and then her family. Her brother Miguel, she confides, is "a brat" ("el es muy travieso"); his bony knees stick out under his blue shorts. Juanito, the baby, on the other hand, is "so cute!" ("el es tan lindo!")--and, indeed he is, with a little kewpie-doll topknot atop his bare skull. There's her "hermosa mama"; her "guapo papa"; her grandmother, who "gives...good advice"; her "sweet" grandfather; her "bisabuela," who "tells wonderful stories"; and her pets: "Son mis mejores amigos!" The figures are posed alone or in groupings against varying pastel-colored backgrounds. The details traditional Oaxacan artist Canseco Zarate includes charm as fully as Weill's crunchy vocabulary. Abuelita sports blue-rimmed cat's-eye glasses; Anita's great-grandmother uses a walker; the skeletal cat wears a pink belled collar. When posed in groups, they hold hands, wave and put arms round one another's shoulders--they may be dead, but their affection is palpable. Just right for the Day of the Dead or for a fresh take on family structures--tan lindo! (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-Anita, an adorable papier-mache skeleton, introduces readers to her extended family. The text is simple and straightforward, appearing in both English and Spanish, using basic sentences to define the role of each family member or to describe them. This book could be used in units on teaching sentence structure or for independent reading. The photographed Oaxacan folk-art figures will make readers smile as each one has a fixed grin, as one would expect from a well-dressed skeleton. Anita's mother is wearing strands of pearls, great grandmother is featured with her walker, and the dog is wearing a sweater. This book would be a welcome and culturally relevant addition to beginning-reader collections.-Maricela Leon-Barrera, San Francisco Public Library

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