Funny Bones

 Bibliography:

Tonatiuh, Duncan. 2015. FUNNY BONES: POSADA AND HIS DAY OF THE DEAD CALAVERAS. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN: 1419716476.

Plot Summary:

Funny Bones tells the story of how Calaveras came to be. This is the story of artist Jose Guadalupe Posada and how he used his culture, surroundings, and printmaking skills to create artwork that people know and love. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book by Duncan Tonatiuh and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did. *This video is a short edit of the book that focuses on Posada's life.

Critical Analysis:

This book is a fun and creative story that allows you to get to know the man behind the skeleton drawings. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. In the end, he became legendary after others wanted to know who had created these Calaveras. This book is drawn in what I feel would be traditional for the period it represents. I think any child who loves art will like this book and find out quite a bit of knowledge about Jose Guadalupe Posada. I also liked how the book spoke of the type of art he used like printing, etching, and lithograph it showed step-by-step images and gave a basic description of these techniques.  What I found very interesting was how you were able to see how he used his art to express his opinions on the society and political world around him. He used funny poems and drawings to speak of how really no matter what we are all Calaveras in the end. This is an inspiring book in many ways, and I think especially for those who are of Mexican descent and celebrate Dia De Los Muertos.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year
A Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner
A Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book

**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

Connections:

·         This would be a great starting point for students to learn about different artists.

·         Researching the history of Calaveras.

·         Tie in when learning about the Day of the Dead.

·         Learning about lithography, wood engraving, and printing- tie in with art lessons.