Huesos

PreS-Gr 2--The narrator tells the story of his abuelo who lives in his colorful house but is all alone. As company, he is gifted a small dog who is named Huesos (Bones). Huesos is a very energetic dog who loves to eat and get into different kinds of innocent mischief, until one day, after eating something he shouldn't have, Huesos passes away. Abuelo is heartbroken, and readers witness Death come take Huesos to the underworld. Just as in life, Huesos wreaks a lot of havoc as he travels through the underworld, until finally Death brings him back up to the world of the living. Huesos is reunited with Abuelo, born again as another young pup. This colorful bilingual picture book covers many different topics, including losing a beloved pet who provides priceless company, as well as celebrating Día de los Muertos and sharing with readers different parts of Mexican culture as Huesos travels the underworld, such as Frida Kahlo and the luchador El Santo. The rhyming text is shown in English and Spanish and provides plenty of puns, with illustrations bringing the underworld to life and drawing inspiration from Guadalupe Posada. VERDICT An excellent addition to bilingual picture book collections, as well as a great choice for Día de los Muertos.--Selenia Paz