"Clatter Bash!: A Day of the Dead Celebration"

Clatter Bash!: A Day of the Dead Celebration
Written and illustrated by: Richard Keep
Published by Peach Tree Publishers in Atlanta, GA in 2004
ISBN: 1-56145-322-6
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text, Song Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Kindergarten (with the exception of the information at the end)
Activity Level: Grade 1

Summary: This is a book about the Day of the Dead Celebration celebrated in the Hispanic Culture. The bulk of this book contains many nonsense words and the story is guided by the illustrations instead of the opposite being true. There are many onomatopoeia words in his book as well, which makes this work wonderful for using with musical instruments. In the back of the book, there is a fairly detailed explanation about what the book was about and also an explanation of the holiday The Day of the Dead. It explains the holiday in terms that children can understand and goes somewhat in death into the celebrations and beliefs in the Hispanic culture about the passing on of friends and family. It talks about the flowers, herbs, and foods the markets carry for the feasts on this holiday as well as the sweet bread (pan de muertos—bread of the dead), that is made each year during the time of this celebration, and the toys and masks made for this as well. This work also relates to its readers the traditions of this holiday such as cleaning the tombstones of loved ones and then having picnics in the graveyards. It enlightens children to the idea that, though we miss our loved ones greatly when they pass, that we do not always need to be said or afraid, but that we can instead celebrate that they have moved on to a better place.

The illustrations in this work are very creative. The illustrator used cut-paper montages, acrylic and watercolor paints, and makers as well as pens to create these visuals. Because the words are not telling of the story, the illustrations have to guide the readers through the ideas and rituals surrounding this holiday. There are skeletons are every double-page spread dressed in strange costumes of vibrant colors since skeletons are a huge par to this holiday celebration. They are dancing and eating, playing music, talking with one another, and truly enjoying themselves in the illustrations meant to lighten the mood of the passing of loved ones, as the holiday does.

Teaching Connections:

Critical Thinking Questions:

The critical thinking questions should be asked of the students after the final page of the book (containing actual information on the Day of the Dead celebration) has been addressed.

1. What similarities and differences do you see between feelings about the deceased in our culture versus that of the Hispanic culture?

a. Possible answer: In our culture we mourn greatly for the departed and place flowers on their graves to show we miss them, which is somewhat similar to the actions of the Hispanics. However, we do not set up alters in our homes for the deceased, nor do we have a specific holiday to commemorate the passing of our friends and relatives. We do not celebrate the “moving into a better life/place” as the Hispanic culture does. Death is much more serious in our culture than it is in theirs.

2. Describe how you think you would feel or how members of your family would react to “celebrating” death as the Hispanics do.

a. Possible answer: I think that my family would frown upon this practice because they would think that we were not respecting those who had passed on. Even though we tend to believe that our family members go on to a better place, we would not feel comfortable celebrating because it would be hard for us to understand that we are not celebrating the fact that they have go on, but the fact that they are in a place of no more pain.

3. Explain why, although this celebration is very different from anything we have in our culture, we should be accepting of it.

a. Possible answer: I think that we should be accepting of this expression surrounding the dead because there is really nothing wrong with it; I am sure that Hispanics miss their loved ones, as they should, but they just have a better outlook on one’s passing than us. We need to except everyone and embrace their different beliefs because we want others to do that for us.

Activity:

I think that this book could be used in a first grade classroom. The teacher could read the first sentence about what the Day of the Dead is, which is located in the back of the book, to her students and then read the book to them. Then she could take them to the music room or have some instruments in her classroom and hand out instruments to her students. Then, she could read this book again after assigning each student a word to listen for in the story. When the student hears that word he or she will play his or her instrument for a few seconds and then the teacher will continue reading. She will have this book projected on the screen in the front of the classroom and will instruct the students to all play their instruments when the words are not italicized. (She will likely have to explain what italicized means, finger-point read to the students, and they will likely have to practice several times before the students are able to do this correctly.)

When the students finish with the story and playing their instruments, the teacher should instruct them to gather around her and listen to her while she reads about the Day of the Dead from the back of the book.

What Students Learn: From this book, the critical thinking questions, and the activity, students learn about musical instruments, rhythm, and much about the Day of the Dead. They also gain comparison and contrasting skills and are able to reflect upon their culture’s beliefs versus that of others.

Image Retrieved From: http://peachtree-online.com/images/ProductImages/Books/1561453226.jpg

"Go!"

Go!
Written and illustrated by: Daniel Kirk
Published by Hyperion Books for Children in NY in 2001
ISBN: 0-7868-0305-3
Genres: Picture Book, Poetry, Song Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grades K, 2, and 4

Summary: This book is a collection of poems about everyday life. Some are about things children like, such as rollerblading; planes, trains, and automobiles; and skateboarding. Others are about the cars parents drive, polar bears and their skates, and long rides home from weekend vacations. Still others are classic songs like "I've Been Working on the Railroad!" There is also a CD with this book for sing-alongs.

Response: I like that this book is interactive from the beginning, since it has lots of songs and poems and comes with a CD. I also really like some of these creative poems/songs! Some of my favorite titles are: "Grandpa's Motorized Wheelchair," "My Old Man Drives a Minivan," "Mamma's Motorcycle," "Hippos on the Subway Train," and "Sammy's Bathtub Submarine." With titles such as those, how could you not want to pick up this book and read it to your class?

I found it interesting that the illustrations in this book seemed to make the words secondary in that the illustrations are really what capture the attention of readers much moreso than the words, simply because of their amazing detail and creative style. In the author/illustrator's note it says that he used oil and watercolor paints, pastels, charcoal, and colored pencils, as well as cut-paper and photo collage, and Sculpey clay! This illustrator really used his imagination on this book!

Teaching Connections: I can absolutely see this book being used in a Kindergarten classroom. A teacher could read one of the songs or poems to her students and then project the book, using a document scanner/projector, onto the board and finger-point read it again along with her class. Then, they could learn about sentence structure by discussing nouns, verbs, rhyming words, etc, and circling and underlining those words in the poem or song!

A second grade teacher could also play the CD for her class and get a set of these books and have her class finger-point read along with it.

I could also see this book being used in a fourth grade classroom. Some of the poems are too juvenile for fourth graders, but others are just cute and funny enough to be sufficient for their grade level, such as "Mamma's Motorcycle," "Skateboard Dream," and "My Old Man Drives a Minivan." The teacher could read these poems/songs as examples and/or have the children listen to them and then pick a topic in their lives that interests them such as rollerblading or traveling, and then have them write a rhyming poem about that.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities students learn about rhyming words, nouns, verbs, and the concept of song. They also gain better reading and writing skills.

Image Retrieved From: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51N848DAQDL._SL500_AA240_.jpg