Pablo Remembers [Hardcover]

George Ancona (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 1993 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: K and up

From October 31 to November 2, people in Mexico celebrate the festival of el Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. This photodocumentary follows Pablo and his family as they prepare to honor the memory of Pablo's grandmother. Ancona's "photographs catch the affirmation of life that fills the Mexican festival arising from both Aztec and Christian customs honoring the dead....Joyful."--Chicago Tribune. "This intriguing book makes an excellent offering during the Halloween season."--School Library Journal. Also available in a Spanish Language edition, Pablo Recuerda.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Using clear prose on attractively bordered pages and well-composed full-color photographs, Ancona takes readers through the preparations for The Day of the Dead, a Hispanic holiday that extends from October 31st- November 2nd. Pablo Montano Ruiz, a boy of about 12 who lives near Oaxaca, goes shopping for candles, tomatoes, sugarcane, radishes, and calaveras de dulce (sugar skulls), all necessary ingredients for the special foods and elaborate ceremonies that are detailed. All of the items purchased are given in both Spanish and English. This intriguing book makes an excellent offering during the Halloween season, as it gives a different perspective on a holiday that is both perceived and marketed in our culture as a time of frightening hauntings. Mexicans, combining Spanish Christian beliefs with Aztec and Mayan cosmology, view these three days-All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day-as a time of loving family remembrance of those who have died. A sound title for balance in collections, ESL classes, or multicultural studies.
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud. Around the time of our Halloween, people in Mexico are preparing for their own celebration, the Fiesta of the Day of the Dead. During this three-day celebration, families go to great lengths to honor the spirits of their deceased relatives. Ancona personalizes his photo-essay by introducing young Pablo, who lost his grandmother two years earlier, and shows how the boy and his family will celebrate this special day. Among the holiday traditions are skulls spun from sugar, special bread, altars inviting the spirits to return to a household, bells, fireworks, and visits from relatives. Kids not familiar with the tradition will no doubt find it fascinating; and for Mexican children living in the U.S., the book can be an important link to their heritage. Unfortunately, the holiday's origins are best explained in the author's note that appears at the end of the book, which most kids will probably skip. It's too bad that the information couldn't have been incorporated into the text; still, the book is handsomely designed, and the color photos are intriguing. Both the English and the well-translated Spanish edition should find an audience. Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (September 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688112498
• ISBN-13: 978-0688112493
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,104,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pable Remembers is not just a "children's book"., October 24, 2001

By 

K. Simpson "skeeziks1" (Williamsburg, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pablo Remembers (Hardcover)

Pablo Remembers is a beautiful book that explains what the celebration of Day of the Dead is all about. The photos are excellent and even though it is a children's book, I share it with high school students and adults who are unfamiliar with this custom. I think that it describes the preparations and symbolism used in this celebration very well.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Children's book, October 27, 2001

By 

Amazon Chick "Latigringa" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pablo Remembers (Library Binding)

This book explains the celebration "Dia de Muertos" through a story about a boy named, Pablo. The book has many pictures and is an accurate description of Day of the Dead in Mexico. Pablo is honoring his grandmother who died recently. The book shows all the traditional food, the celebration and the meaning behind it all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn About the Day of the Dead, March 9, 2006

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Pablo Remembers (Library Binding)

"This is an excellent children's picture book to use to introduce the Day of the Dead to your children or class. Through full-page and small color photographs, accompanied by text, photojournalist George Ancona tells the story of how one family honors their deceased relatives by observing the Day of the Dead in their village in Mexico.
The Celebration of the Day of the Dead in a Mexican Village
Young Pablo's grandmother Abuelita died two years ago. Pablo misses her, but he finds all of the Day of the Dead activities to be a comfort. The story revolves around Pablo, his three sisters and their parents as they prepare for and enjoy the activities, from shopping in the market and making home altars honoring dead relatives to visiting and eating with relatives living nearby, and decorating the graves and tombs of relatives.
The family's trip to the Oaxaca market provides the reader with information about the special foods for the Day of the Dead, including pan de muertos (bread of the dead) and Calaversas de dulce (sugar skulls). English translations or explanations are given for the Spanish words in the text. There is a glossary at the end of the book.
The book's colorful design and fascinating photographs capture the eye, and the text provides a concise, but intriguing, explanation of the three-day celebration of the Day of the Dead: All Hallows Eve, October 31; All Saints Day, November 1, and All Souls Day, November 2. The story ends with a picnic in the cemetery where Pablo's family, along with other village families, are "eating, singing, laughing, and keeping their dead relatives company."
The author also provides a three-page summary of the history of the Day of the Dead and an overview of how it is celebrated today in Mexico and in Mexican communities in the United States. According to George Ancona, "Today the festival of the Day of the Dead is mainly a family celebration, a reunion of the living with their dead relatives." I would recommend "Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead" for 7 to 11 year olds."
(review by Elizabeth Kennedy of ABOUT.COM online newsletter)

I'm so glad to see this book, as it was hard to find materials for children in our library on this Mexican holiday. V. Allain