Book # 11
Book Image:
Bibliographic Citation:
Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book
By Yuyi Morales. Illus. by author.
2003. 28p. Chronicle Kids, $15.95.(9780811837583)
Age Group:
PreS-2
Genre:
Nonfiction
Awards:
2004 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner
Topics/Issues:
Folklore, Mexico, Death
ELS promoted:
Print motivation, narrative skills, print awareness, vocabulary
Format:
Hardcover
Hardcover
Author/Illustrator sites:
http://www.yuyimorales.com/
Categorization Tags:
PZ8.1.M7955 Ju 2003
Annotation:
In this version of a traditional tale, Señor Calabera
arrives at Grandma Beetle’s door, ready to take her to the next life, but after
helping her count, in English and Spanish, as she makes her birthday
preparations, he changes his mind.
Reactions/Observations:
Señor Calabera comes knocking on Grandma Beetle's door to take her with him to the afterlife. But Grandma Beetle persuades him to stay and help her do one more thing and then another, slowly counting each task in both english and spanish. Señor Calabera becomes increasingly impatient until her long list of tasks result in a party where he is also invited! He has so much fun that he bids Grandma Beetle farewell, giving her another year.
I was lucky enough to find this book on our story time reference shelf. The illustrations are bright and playful, depicting various symbols of Hispanic culture like the papel picados and the piñatas. From your description I expected a darker and maybe a little sinister story when I read Death had come to take Grandma Beetle, but it was nothing of the sort. In fact, a child may miss that Grandma Beetle had cheated Death out of another year. The dialogue is playful and smoothly integrates the Spanish language between bits of story and dialogue. I think this book would especially work well for Día de los niños/de los libros story time
Señor Calabera comes knocking on Grandma Beetle's door to take her with him to the afterlife. But Grandma Beetle persuades him to stay and help her do one more thing and then another, slowly counting each task in both english and spanish. Señor Calabera becomes increasingly impatient until her long list of tasks result in a party where he is also invited! He has so much fun that he bids Grandma Beetle farewell, giving her another year.
I was lucky enough to find this book on our story time reference shelf. The illustrations are bright and playful, depicting various symbols of Hispanic culture like the papel picados and the piñatas. From your description I expected a darker and maybe a little sinister story when I read Death had come to take Grandma Beetle, but it was nothing of the sort. In fact, a child may miss that Grandma Beetle had cheated Death out of another year. The dialogue is playful and smoothly integrates the Spanish language between bits of story and dialogue. I think this book would especially work well for Día de los niños/de los libros story time
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