Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras

by Duncan Tonatiuh

Overview

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year
A Robert F. Sibert Award Winner
A Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book
STARRED REVIEW *“Playful but informative . . . a fascinating introduction to the artist and his work.” ―Booklist
STARRED REVIEW *“Artistically beautiful and factually accessible . . . effectively blends artistic and political content for young readers.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Discover the story behind José Guadalupe Posada’s iconic Día de Muertos skeletons in this fascinating picture book from award-winning creator Duncan Tonatiuh.

Funny Bones tells the story of how calaveras came to be. The amusing figures are the creation of Mexican artist José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852–1913). Lupe learned the art of printing at a young age and soon had his own shop. In a country that was not known for freedom of speech, he drew political cartoons, much to the amusement of the local population but not to the politicians.

While he continued to draw cartoons, he is best known today for his calavera drawings. They have become synonymous with Mexico’s Día de Muertos festival. Calaveras are skeletons performing all sorts of activities, both everyday and festive: dancing in the streets, playing instruments in a band, pedaling bicycles, promenading in the park, and even sweeping the sidewalks.

They are not intended to be frightening, but rather to celebrate the joy of living and provide humorous observations about people. Author and illustrator Tonatiuh relates the pivotal moments of Lupe’s life and explains the different artistic processes he used.

Juxtaposing his own artwork with Lupe’s, Tonatiuh brings to light the remarkable life and work of a man beloved by many but whose name has remained in obscurity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419716478
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/25/2015
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	125,066
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Duncan Tonatiuh (toh-nah-tee-YOU) is an award-winning author-illustrator whose numerous accolades include the Sibert Medal and the Pura Belpré Award. Duncan is both Mexican and American. His artwork is inspired by Mesoamerican art. His aim is to create images and stories that honor the past, but are relevant to today’s people, especially children. He grew up in and currently lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where he celebrates Día de Muertos with his wife and children every year. Learn more at duncantonatiuh.com.

Editorial Reviews

Why, exactly, has the look of calaveras—scary, but perhaps in equal measure witty—taken hold among the young of our culture? What's the appeal? Those are fascinating and complicated questions, and Funny Bones, a captivating new book by the Mexican-born author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh…breaks them down admirably for early middle-grade readers…Befitting its subject, the book communicates through its visual aesthetic. Tonatiuh integrates images of Posada's old-school calaveras with his own illustrations, done in the sophisticated style that has won him acclaim…It's wonderful to see the nuts and bolts of an artist's work presented so that children can understand the painstaking work involved in anything that looks cool and effortless.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

★ 07/20/2015
Tonatiuh offers a comprehensive look at the life of Mexican artist and printmaker José Guadalupe “Lupe” Posada, while providing a crash course in lithography, engraving, etching, and studying art. Posada is best known for his calavera images (featuring the skeletons associated with Mexico’s Day of the Dead), which Tonatiuh intermixes with his own brand of hieroglyphic digital collages. Reproductions of Posada’s calavera images accompany questions that encourage readers to consider their meaning (“Was Don Lupe saying that... no matter how fancy your clothes are on the outside, on the inside we are all the same?”). 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. Ages 6–10. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Playful but informative, this picture book offers a fascinating introduction to the artist and his work."

Booklist

"Befitting its subject, the book communicates through its visual aesthetic. Tonatiuh integrates images of Posada's old-school calaveras with his own illustrations, done in the sophisticated style that has won him acclaim…It's wonderful to see the nuts and bolts of an artist's work presented so that children can understand the painstaking work involved in anything that looks cool and effortless."

The New York Times Book Review

"Befitting its subject, the book communicates through its visual aesthetic. Tonatiuh integrates images of Posada's old-school calaveras with his own illustrations, done in the sophisticated style that has won him acclaim…It's wonderful to see the nuts and bolts of an artist's work presented so that children can understand the painstaking work involved in anything that looks cool and effortless."—The New York Times Book Review

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Playful but informative, this picture book offers a fascinating introduction to the artist and his work."—Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Tonatiuh skillfully blends his own distinctive style of digital collage and hand drawings not only to highlight events in Posada's life, but also to add whimsical elements by introducing contemporary calaveras. He incorporates amusing, thoughtful exercises for young readers into the narrative, prompting them to interpret the messages behind Posada's artwork... 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."—Kirkus Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"A wealth of biographical and contextual information... 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."—Publishers Weekly

**STARRED REVIEW**
"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. Simple yet effective sentences accompany step-by-step images detailing the artistic processes that Posada learned as a printer's apprentice... A stunning work, with great possibilities for lesson plans or tie-ins with Day of the Dead."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

STARRED REVIEW
"Playful but informative, this picture book offers a fascinating introduction to the artist and his work."

Booklist

★ 09/01/2015
Gr 3–6—Tonatiuh's latest delves into the life of artist and social commentator extraordinaire José Guadalupe Posada, best known for his literary calaveras, brief and amusing rhyming poems about skeletons dressed in clothes, going about their daily business. 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. Simple yet effective sentences accompany step-by-step images detailing the artistic processes that Posada learned as a printer's apprentice: lithography, engraving, and etching. Reproductions of Posada's calaveras will help children appreciate Posada's passion for his profession, such as the broadside "Calavera Love," which depicts a gentleman skeleton proposing marriage; the poem concludes, "I am sorry, Señor. But that cannot be./You're handsome and all,/but too skinny for me!" Tonatiuh explains the poetry, posing questions about the artist's intentions and adding historical context, explaining the calaveras that Posada created in response to the Mexican Revolution. Extensive back matter includes links where students can see Posada's original work and an author's note that suggests using the calaveras "to learn and celebrate el Dia de Muertos." VERDICT A stunning work, with great possibilities for lesson plans or tie-ins with Day of the Dead.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2015-06-06
Tonatiuh's Mixtec-influenced illustrations make an apt complement to this picture-book biography of one of Mexico's most beloved artists, José Guadalupe Posada. Don Lupe, as he was called, used the printing techniques of lithography, engraving, and etching. Each technique is summarized in four-panel layouts, and sample images of his calaveras and calacas (skulls and skeletons) are liberally incorporated into the illustrations. Many of the iconic images associated with Día de los Muertos were created by Posada as integral elements of his world-renowned political satire, particularly during the Mexican Revolution. Tonatiuh skillfully blends his own distinctive style of digital collage and hand drawings not only to highlight events in Posada's life, but also to add whimsical elements by introducing contemporary calaveras. He incorporates amusing, thoughtful exercises for young readers into the narrative, prompting them to interpret the messages behind Posada's artwork. Also included is an in-depth author's note on the history of the Day of the Dead and an extensive glossary. In addition, a bibliography, list of art credits, and venues where Posada's art is displayed are provided for further exploration of Posada's life and work. Phonetic pronunciation is, unfortunately, only sporadically and unevenly sprinkled throughout the story. 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. (Picture book/biography. 7-13)

Kirkus Reviews