Seasonal Stories: FUNNY BONES by Duncan Tonatiuh

Judging from displays in commercial locations and from pop-up pumpkin-shaped sales outlets in vacant parking lots, the Halloween season begins in mid-August and ends with half-price sales on November first. 

Abrams Books for young Readers, 2015

That is, of course, if you observe typical American traditions. 
If, however, you participate in Mexican traditions, November first and second are the important days on the calendar. That's when el Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) recognizes and remembers those who have passed away. Respect and honor are shown for their lives, but it is also a time to celebrate those lives and to recognize that death is the natural end to life, the ending that awaits us all. A party atmosphere prevails.

Instead of trick-or-treating the occasion is marked by creating memory offerings for loved ones, decorated with marigolds. Participants enjoy candy skulls, special bread, and paper cut-outs in the shape of skeletons and skulls. The skeletons have come to be called POSADAS, and they are usually portrayed in a wide variety of comic situations.

POSADA is actually the name of the man who popularized the current versions of the skeletons. FUNNY BONES: Posada and His Day of the Dead CALAVERAS, by Duncan Tonatiuh, reveals his story. The youngest of six children born to a baker, Jose Guadelupe Posada (Lupe) was soon recognized for his remarkable artistic talent. it led him to a lifelong career in various printing businesses, including lithography, engraving, and etching. In the course of a long life with many ups and downs, his images of CALAVERAS became famous for their ability to amuse, provoke political discussions, make social commentary, suggest life lessons, and entertain. He simply signed each one "Posada", the name commonly used now. Although widely respected and successful throughout his life, he was not recognized for his artistic talent and contributions until long after his death, but his works now hang in museums.

 I'm a fan of Tonatiuh's books, not only for their distinctive art style and page designs, but for his ability to enrich the text and content of his work. In nonfiction like this and SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL, or DIEGO RIVERA: HIS WORLD AND OURS, the iconography of the borders, the background patterns and minute details on secondary objects all suggest elements of the research and life stories told in the text. The back matter in these books provide sources and access to further investigation, which the books often inspire. 

His traditional-style tale, PANCHO RABBIT and the COYOTE accomplishes the remarkable  feat of using a seemingly simple child's story to explore the harsh realities of the desperation of children escaping unlivable circumstances and their victimization by those who exploit their tragic lives. In many ways Tonatiuh's work mirrors that of Lupe Posada, in that his blending of serious or somber elements with humor, story and traditional icons allows readers to engage wholeheartedly, then reflect later on other possible meanings.

For other books involving Day of the Dead celebrations and traditions, check this previous post featuring a poignant story that blends fiction with information about the migrations of monarch butterflies, GHOST WINGS by Barbara Joosse.

These are all excellent examples of picture books that offer something for readers at any age, including middle grade and beyond. If you're looking for some ghost stories to share this season, recommendations (and a giveaway until OCT. 14, 2015) are featured on my author website under the NEWS tab, here.

So, there's something for everyone here, and that leaves no excuses for not making reading a centerpiece in your seasonal celebrations.

Not As Simple As It Seems, Is It?

In the last post I featured a variety of quality titles related to Independence Day, from light-hearted to local to Miss Liberty. Underlying themes abound within their covers. These include, but aren't limited to: patriotism, community service, international cooperation and collaboration, recognition of human rights for people of every color and background, and projects with noble intentions that never seem to reach completion.

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2013

Which brings me to this week's single title, the very recent release, PANCHO RABBIT AND THE COYOTE: A Migrant's Tale, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. This award-winning book creator is also one impressive storyteller. I find myself returning to my favorite Levar Burton/Reading Rainbow quote: "But don't take my word for it..." Here's just a bit of what the Chicago Sun-Times had to say about Tonatiuh's latest creation: 

"Dora the Explorer never took a trip like this."

and

"The author, 28-year-old Duncan Tonatiuh, says he isn’t following the current immigration bill in Washington and didn’t write the book as a political statement. Tonatiuh, whose previous children’s book on Mexican painter Diego Rivera earned an award from the American Library Association, says he just wanted to give young illegal immigrants living in the United States a bedside story they can relate to.

'I wanted them to see that people that go into the U.S. like this face an incredibly dangerous journey,' says Tonatiuh, who was born and raised in Mexico and has dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. 'But I also wanted to show the longing between families, the fact that there are a lot of children in Mexico who don’t see their fathers for years.' ”

Earning starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Review, and Publishers' Weekly, the story works as a traditional tale and also as an allegory for the lives of countless Mexican and South American migrants facing a lose-lose decision when it comes to survival for themselves and their families.

I'll return to that aspect soon, but first let's take a closer look at the art of the book. Backmatter includes this brief statement: "The illustrations are hand drawn, then digitally collaged". I examine the art in picture books very closely on a daily basis, but I'll admit I had no idea how Tonatiuh accomplished this until reading that, and I'm mightily impressed with the process and the end results. 

Viking Press, 1999

The various textures, weaves, and components are intriguing and impressive, reminding me a bit of the elaborate collage production of Caldecott-winning JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback. And yet Duncan's book is utterly distinct and fascinating, a truly original style. 

As for the narrative, the cycle of Coyote's promises, "reasonable" demands, and eventual betrayal could be right out of the pages of a medieval folk tale, or from the pages of a twenty-first century newspaper report on immigration issues.

Tonatiuh addresses both levels of the story in the back matter, offering a Spanish glossary and author's notes, referencing the dual connotations of "coyote" as both a legendary trickster and as an illegal immigration border escort, every bit as unreliable and potentially deadly as the character in this story. 

Whatever your position may be on the current attempts to modernize and revamp the immigration laws in the Senate and the House, you should read this, including all the supplementary materials. It may not change your mind, and it was not written to espouse a political position. What it just might do is to humanize the issue, despite the fact that Pancho and his family are portrayed as rabbits. 

Reflecting on the themes explored briefly in last week's post, I can't help but wonder how the deeply entrenched constituencies on this topic would each claim identical aspects of American values, as listed in the opening paragraph above. How is it that patriotism, community service, international cooperation and collaboration, recognition of human rights for people of every color and background, and dissatisfaction with projects having noble intentions but an inability to reach completion can lead to deadlock? Aren't these values the prerequisites for and foundation of reasonable debate and constructive compromise? 

Shouldn't we demand that simplistic and rigid positions be jettisoned in favor of open minds and a willingness to compromise? I'm not presuming to say that reaching compromise would be simple, but it should not go unfinished.

Is it so hard to imagine that there's more thought-provoking truth in a picture book like this one than in the endlessly rehearsed and restated positions of pundits?