As the Day of the Dead approaches, Don Pedro and his children prepare by making the Calaveras, or, skeletons, that are an important symbol during this Mexican holiday. They use papier-mâché and bamboo to form the figures, and they decorate them with paint. Then everyone comes to celebrate! Jeanette Winter uses the artistic endeavors of Don Pedro’s creative family to frame 26 pages of dancing Calaveras, one for each letter in the alphabet. Each is labeled with a corresponding Spanish word. In her note at the end, Winter explains the variations in the Spanish alphabet and provides translations for the Spanish words. Some of her choices are obvious, such as Angel for A and Unicornio for U, but others will require a little thinking based on the picture. Two Calaveras wearing crowns and dancing together are Rey and Reina, and a young word detective might be able to guess that it means King and Queen. (Ages 4–10, older for Spanish learners)

Every year Don Pedro and his family make papier-mache skeletons, or calaveras, for Mexico's Day of the Dead fiesta. From Angel and Doctor to Mariachi and Unicornio, each letter of the alphabet has its own special calavera.

Come dance with them in this unusual ABC book inspired by a real Mexican family of artists and the many colorful folk-art traditions surrounding the celebration of the Day of the Dead.

Includes a glossary of Spanish words and an author's note.