Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras Review by Allison Trippe

Bibliography

Tonatiuh, Duncan. 2015. Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.       ISBN 978-1419716478

Summary

This picture book biography tells the story of the Mexican artist, José Guadalupe Posada. Lupe, as he was known, was born and raised by his mother and father in Mexico. His older brother, Cirilo, was his teacher. Cirilo recognized Lupe’s talents as an artist, and helped him enroll in an art academy. Later on, Lupe worked in a print shop and discovered a passion for printmaking. When he became a young man, he was unhappy with how the Mexican government was running the country. So he began to express his discontent through politically satirical cartoons. His artwork was printed and distributed across the country, and soon he became known as Posada.

As he developed as an artist, Posada began creating literary calaveras. Literally translated, calavera means human skull, but also refers to an artistic portrayal of a human skull. Posada’s calaveras were clever poems and jokes that appeared with images of costume-adorned skeleton. Some of his calaveras contained messages about political leaders and religion; made fun of the upper class; expressed his thoughts about the Mexican Revolution; and depicted other important events occurring in Mexico during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Not until after his death, did Posada’s calaveras grow in popularity, and eventually became iconic symbols of the Mexican holiday, El Dia de los Muertos.

Critical Analysis

Tonatiuh organizes his biography by telling the story of the life of artist José Guadalupe Posada from his birth to death. He incorporates three separate pages of step-by-step visual and verbal directions on how Posada created lithographs, engravings, and etching techniques for  printmaking. Tonatiuh includes many resources to support readers in comprehending the content of his book. Pronunciation keys are included when the author uses Spanish vocabulary words and names. Proper Spanish terms are used to preserve the authenticity of the book, and include parenthetical translations into English. A glossary provides both Spanish and English vocabulary word definitions. As well, major topics and subjects are indexed on the last page, along with a list of locations where Posada’s works can be seen in the United States today.

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras is a literary and visual treasure. It inspires readers to learn more about Mexican culture and traditions. The author encourages readers to interpret the messages of Posada’s art by posing questions about the artwork. He ends with a final question challenging readers to ponder what calaveras would look like today. This clever technique is sure to spark a debate, discussion, and discourse among readers.

The accuracy of facts, and credibility of author Duncan Tonatiuh is evident throughout  Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras. A bibliography is included and it provides  an extensive list of sources. Credit is given to the original artists, and also listed on the same page. An Author’s Note gives readers further reading opportunities about the celebration of El Dia de los Muertos, the history of its origin, and the discovery of Posada’s calaveras.

Illustrations

Author-illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh incorporates his own drawings with Posada’s prints throughout the book. Tonatiuh fashions his original work in a Pre-Columbian, Mixtec-style which adds to the cultural appeal of his book. Full pages are dedicated to many of Posada’s more prominent works, such as Calavera Catrina. What culminates is an homage to ancient, traditional, and modern Mexican folk art.

Awards and Review Excerpts

• 2016 Orbis Pictus Honor Book
• 2016 Sibert Medal Winner
• 2016 Pura Belpré Honor Book
• 2016 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
• 2016 Américas Award, Honorable Mention
• 2015 New York Times Best Illustrated Book
• International Latino Book Award Finalist

From Publishers Weekly: “With a wealth of biographical and contextual information (much of it in an extensive author’s note), it’s a valuable introduction to Posada that will leave readers thinking about the process of creating art and the social impact it can have.”

From Booklist: “Playful but informative, this picture book offers a fascinating introduction to the artist and his work.”

From Kirkus Review: “Following on his Sibert Honor–winning Separate Is Never Equal (2014), Tonatiuh further marks himself as a major nonfiction talent with this artistically beautiful and factually accessible offering that effectively blends artistic and political content for young readers.”

From School Library Journal: “The beautifully expressive Day of the Dead–inspired illustrations on heavy paper pages sport borders of bones, grinning skeletons, and Tonatiuh’s signature figures shown in profile, influenced by the ancient Mexican art of his ancestors... A stunning work, with great possibilities for lesson plans or tie-ins with Day of the Dead.”

Connections

• Use a KWL chart with students to help them organize ideas about what they already know, what they want to know, and what they learned about El Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead).
• Art teachers can use this book to teach students about different methods and steps involved in printmaking techniques.
• Show parts or all of the Google Hangouts video interview with author, Duncan Tonatiuh, to see him introduce his book and discuss his illustrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRccm16JuoU
• Conduct an author study and read aloud other books by Duncan Tonatiuh such as:
• Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation.    ISBN 1419710540
• Diego Rivera: His World and Ours.    ISBN 0810997312
• Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale.    ISBN 1419705830
• Read this book with older students as they study political cartoons and political satire.
• Read the book aloud and discuss the meaning of the title, Funny Bones, and why the author may have chosen this as the title.
• After reading the book, students can illustrate their own calaveras and write stories or poems that accompany their creations.
• Students can use critical thinking skills to answer the author’s question on the last page of the book.

*Created as an assignment for a Texas Woman's University course.