Día de Muertos: Números: A Day of the Dead Counting Book
by Duncan Tonatiuh; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Abrams Appleseed    24 pp.
5/23    9781419764462    $15.99
e-book ed.  9781647008246    $14.39

Starting with “una foto / one photo” of their deceased loved one, a group of “diez familiares y amigos / ten family members and friends” count their way through constructing an altar for Día de Muertos. The bilingual text highlights common offerings and decorations for Day of the Dead altars, further explained in an author’s note, including traditional foods, candles, and flowers. Tonatiuh’s stylized mixed-media illustrations, inspired by the same pre-Columbian art traditions as his cultural and historical retellings (Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns, rev. 11/20; A Land of Books, rev. 1/23), will draw readers in. The photo-collage elements give texture to the bold illustrations: “cuatro tamales” are wrapped with images of real corn husks; “cinco panes de muerto” get their depth from actual golden-baked crust. This clever counting book introduces this important part of Día de Muertos celebrations in an accessible and eye-catching format.

From the July/August 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.