Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh Vocabulary
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The hand-drawn and digitally collaged artwork is very well done here and my favorite by th
A picture book biography of Jose Guadalupe Posada who is well known for his calavera (skull/skeleton) artwork. His artwork is very much tied to the el Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations every year on November 1-2 and this book provides biographical info about the artist, info on the holiday, as well as encourages the reader to think critically about what Posada was trying to say with his artwork.The hand-drawn and digitally collaged artwork is very well done here and my favorite by this author/illustrator to date. I really enjoyed the sections that read like instruction manuals for different techniques artists use (i.e. lithography, engraving, etching), and I LOVED the brightly colored pages with Posada's artwork and the author's interpretations; they were very thought-provoking.
Highly recommend this book for grades 3-5+.
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Tonatiuh continually makes the point, in
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras, that Posada's art is better known than Posada himself, and that is certainly true in my case! I didn't think, picking up the book, that I had ever encountered Posada before. I don't celebrate Day of the Dead, and am not particularly familiar with the artwork associated with it. Imagine my surprise then, when reading this book, to discover Posada's calavera of Madero, a work known as The Calavera Maderista: 
This is an image I know well, as it appeared on the copy of
The Milagro Beanfield War that I read and reread, as a young adolescent. This discovery was a welcome surprise for me, and I am glad to know a little bit more about the artist who created this work. Leaving that aside, I found the narrative here engaging and informative, and greatly appreciated the discussion of the different artistic methods used by Posada. I also appreciated that the illustrations here incorporated some of Posada's work, together with Tonatiuh's own paintings. Recommended to young art lovers, and to children who are curious about some of the Day of the Dead traditions they may have encountered. ...more
I love learning about culture and so I am definitely glad I read this one. The artwork was really interesting and it helped me learn more about a holiday I had only some familiarity with. Posada's original artwork is very interesting and I just wish there was more to this book.
3.75I love learning about culture and so I am definitely glad I read this one. The artwork was really interesting and it helped me learn more about a holiday I had only some familiarity with. Posada's original artwork is very interesting and I just wish there was more to this book.
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One fiction text that I paired Funny Bones with was the book Coco, based on the Disney/Pixar movie of the same name. I chose this specifically because I think that depending on where you are teaching, there could be a wide variety of awareness and understanding of Dia de los Muertos and calaveras. The book portrays Miguel, a boy in Mexico who loves music, but his family has forbidden it because his great-great-grandfather apparently abandoned his family to pursue music. Miguel accidentally travels to the Land of the Dead on the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), and uncovers the true story of what happened to his great-great-grandfather. The illustrations in the book feature the Land of the Dead, and the inhabitants there were obviously heavily influenced by Posada's calaveras drawings. I thought this would be a great, current link to help students make a connection and contextualize the Funny Bones book.
Another fiction book that could be used would be Little Skeletons: Countdown to Midnight. This is a much simpler counting book, which incorporates a Spanish nursery rhyme with an English-Spanish dual language text, as well as a Dia de los Muertos theme, with calaveras-style illustrations. This text counts from one o'clock up to midnight on the Day of the Dead, and tells about different activities that are done to celebrate. On each page is the repeated nursery rhyme chant "tomb-a-laca, tomb-a-laca, tomba-a, tomb-a, tomb-a-laca, tomb-a-laca, tomb-a-la…" Again, I thought it this was a fun and interesting way to introduce a different culture or a different aspect of a culture (Dia de los Muertos) in a way that students are more comfortable or familiar with (counting/nursery rhyme book).
The connection between all three texts is multicultural – Dia de los Muertos. In addition, especially in Coco and Funny Bones, there is Mexican history as well. All three books encourage a better understanding of a celebration from another culture, as well as the often misunderstood meaning behind both the calaveras and skeletons, and the drawings that Posada made. They all encourage an interest in and understanding of Mexican culture, celebrations, and history.
The interactive strategy that I would use for the books would be a Venn Diagram about calaveras and how they are portrayed in two of the texts. For example, in Funny Bones, the author shows how Posada used calaveras as political caricatures, to make fun of political figures. He also used them to make fun of how people perceived themselves, or to make a point about equality, and how underneath our skin, we are all equal, because we are all just skeletons and calaveras underneath. In Coco and Little Skeletons, they are used artistically, as way to tell the story while still showing when and where they take place. However, both show very decorated calaveras. In Funny Bones, the author references one of Posada's most famous calaveras, La Catrina, which has become a symbol and personification of Dia de los Muertos. Likewise, a La Catrina calavera style drawing appears in Coco in the form of one the people Miguel sees in the Land of the Dead.
The content area crossover that I see is social studies. In social studies, one of the goals is not only to learn about other cultures and traditions, but also to learn about history. Funny Bones and Coco cover both. Not only do they show celebrations from another culture – Dia de los Muertos – but they also show how and why the day is celebrated. Likewise, they discuss how history had an effect on the future, all the way up to the present time.
Jaramillo, S. (2017). Little skeletons: Countdown to midnight (canticos). Corte Madera, CA:
Encantos Media Studios, PBC.
Molina, A. (2017). Coco. New York, NY: Golden Books.
Tonatiuh, D. (2015). Funny bones: Posada and his day of the dead calaveras. New York, NY:
Abrams Books for Young Readers.
I particularly like how Tonatiuh presents examples of Posada's cartoons and invites the reader to figure out what Posada was trying to say. However, there are several instances where the pictures show people holding broadsides with Posada's illustrations and a poem in Spanish, and nowhere in the book are there translations of the poems. I can read Spanish, but many young readers cannot, so I wish the translations had been provided. However, Tonatiuh does provide a lengthy author's note at the back of the book explaining in more detail about Day of the Dead customs and Posada's life, as well as a glossary of terms, a list of books for more information, and a list of places in the US where you can see Posada's work. The closest to me? The New York Public Library, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all in New York City. Field trip??
I should think this book would most appeal to readers of Hispanic origin and more in the Southwest, but I would encourage all readers everywhere to delve into it. Posada was so unique, and it may inspire some young imitators, given the popularity of skeletons nowdays. Recommended!
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Funny Bones Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras
Funny Bones is a non-fiction book by Duncan Tonatiuh. This story is about a boy named Jose Guadalupe Pasada. People called him Lupe. Lupe was a talented artist. At the age of eighteen, Lupe began to work at Don Trinidad Pedroza's print shop. There her did lots of work with printing of documents, diplomas, flyers, labels, and much more. One day he was told to make apolitical cartoon that got him in a lot of trouble. This resulted him moving to t
Funny Bones Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras
Funny Bones is a non-fiction book by Duncan Tonatiuh. This story is about a boy named Jose Guadalupe Pasada. People called him Lupe. Lupe was a talented artist. At the age of eighteen, Lupe began to work at Don Trinidad Pedroza's print shop. There her did lots of work with printing of documents, diplomas, flyers, labels, and much more. One day he was told to make apolitical cartoon that got him in a lot of trouble. This resulted him moving to the city Leon. Here he opened his very own print shop. Lupe eventually started working with a man named don Antonio. They worked together for twenty years. For dia de los muertos, Don Antonio and Lupe printed literary Calaveras. This had poems and Calaveras on the picture. These Calaveras although, they were not the majority of his work they were his most famous work. These skeleton drawings reflected things that were going on in Lupe's life. Whether it be people he judged or how he used to only walk places and now they have cars. The end of the book talks about Lupe's death and gives him a new name of Posada. Throughout the book you can see examples of the beautiful Calaveras Posada drew for his town. I paired this book with Clatter Bash 'A Day of the Dead Celebration' by Richard Keep. I did this because it was a cute book about the day of the dead. Dias de los muertos is what Jose Guadalope Pasada was famous for drawing. He was very famous for drawing Calaveras. Calaveras are featured throughout this entire picture book. It is a cute short story that I could open with in a class. I would read Clatter Bash first so I could give a proper introduction for the next book. I would say that Jose Guadalope Pasada was famous for drawing skeletons just like the one in the book we read before. I would have the children do a K-W-L chart for the book Funny bones. Since we got a bit of an insight as to what Calaveras were, I would what to see what they really know, what they want to know, and what they learned from Posada's story. I would teach these books in a social studies class near cinco de mayo. This is also a good chance to get a multicultural book in the mix. I would want all my students to see themselves in a story. So, for the children of Hispanic decent they would be able to see themselves in the book Funny Bones Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras. They could do so because there are little pictures of Posada throughout the picture book.
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José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar was a Mexican political lithographer who used relief printing to produce popular illustrations. His work has influenced numerous Latin American artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and social engagement. He used skulls, calaver
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. It is a picture-book biography of one of Mexico's most beloved artists, José Guadalupe Posada.José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar was a Mexican political lithographer who used relief printing to produce popular illustrations. His work has influenced numerous Latin American artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and social engagement. He used skulls, calaveras, and bones to convey political and cultural critiques.
Tonatiuh's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. 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. Backmatter includes an in-depth author's note, list of art credits, and venues where Posada's art is displayed and provided for further exploration of Posada's life and work. Tonatiuh's Mixtec-influenced illustrations make an apt complement to the subject matter.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. 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 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.
All in all, Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras is a wonderful biographical book of one of Mexico's most beloved artists – José Guadalupe Posada.
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-Bloom's Taxonomy:
-Remembering:
--Recall what Posada's most famous images were called, and what they looked like.
-Understanding
--Summarize the events of Posada's life that were mentioned in the story.
-Applying
--Analyze a picture of one of Posada's calaveras that is in the book. Examine it and share what you think he was trying to say in the image.
I think that Posada was making fun of the politicians by drawing them climbing all over each other to ge
-Possible Area Content Crossover: Art-Bloom's Taxonomy:
-Remembering:
--Recall what Posada's most famous images were called, and what they looked like.
-Understanding
--Summarize the events of Posada's life that were mentioned in the story.
-Applying
--Analyze a picture of one of Posada's calaveras that is in the book. Examine it and share what you think he was trying to say in the image.
I think that Posada was making fun of the politicians by drawing them climbing all over each other to get to the top. I think that Posada thought that the men would have climbed over anyone and stepped on anyone's toes as long as that meant that they could get the fortune and power that comes with being a famous politician.
-Evaluating
--Think of the three different ways that Posada did his drawings/printmaking. Choose one type of printmaking mentioned that you would choose to use, and why.
I would choose to do the wood engraving technique. I chose this because I think that it would be fun to be able to use tools for carving to make my art and I think that they would last longer/be able to be used more times than the other methods' stencils.
-Creating
--Design your own calavera. Then, write a paragraph about what your calavera represents or stands for and how your image relates to what you learned about in the book. It can be a calavera of you or someone you know, or someone famous, or someone totally random--as long as you write about the meaning of your artwork and connect it to the text.
...more Overall, I think this book provides great informational knowledge. I think that for younger students the pictures and basic knowledge of the information are easily accessible and understandable. For ol
I really enjoyed this book. I choose it because I am on the CLD track and I am always interested in ways to introduce different cultures and languages into the classroom. I think Day of the Dead is an extremely interesting lesson to have in the classroom and this book can be a great tool for this.Overall, I think this book provides great informational knowledge. I think that for younger students the pictures and basic knowledge of the information are easily accessible and understandable. For older students, there is extremely in-depth information in this book as well. There is extended information given in the back as well as a glossary. This book is a great stepping-off point for extra conversations about Day of the Dead. The art can be discussed as well as the traditions and culture pictured in the book. I think that because of the amount of material that can be introduced based on this book, it is an extremely helpful tool in the classroom. I found the informational pages very helpful but also they continued to keep my attention as well.
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The book is rich in info This award winning picture book tells us about the life of Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) and his work. The reader learns about the relationship between calaveras and Dia de Los Muertos, but also learns about Mexico's history and political climate that gave rise to Posada's artwork. This book contains some of Posada's work and reflective questions. The terra cotta colored illustrations alongside Posada's detailed etches work give the book a rustic charm.
The book is rich in information, but it won't overwhelm young readers. The story flows nicely and the reflection question guides the reader into a mediation of Posada's work.
2016 Robert F. Sibert Medal award winner for the most distinguished informational book and
2016 Pura Belpre Honor book for illustration.
He excelled at drawing and at 18 began to work in a print shop. The book goes into the process of how a newspaper is printed.
Posada's literary calaveras in the book are for the Day of the Dead celebrations. These are printed black-and-white images of skeletons, poking fun at the living. The illustration are
What a nice book for kids. Funny Bones tells the story of the Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, who popularized calaveras both as a form of political protest and a popular entertainment.He excelled at drawing and at 18 began to work in a print shop. The book goes into the process of how a newspaper is printed.
Posada's literary calaveras in the book are for the Day of the Dead celebrations. These are printed black-and-white images of skeletons, poking fun at the living. The illustration are nice to look at.
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Includes an Author's Note, Glossary, Bibliography, Art Credits, Places to Visit, and an Index.
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras is the story of artist Jose Guadalupe Posada and his journey from budding artist to the creation of calaveras. Calaveras were irreverent depictions of people from all walks of life pictured as skeletons.Includes an Author's Note, Glossary, Bibliography, Art Credits, Places to Visit, and an Index.
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I enjoyed learning about the
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras is written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. It tells the life story of Don Lupe Posada the artist who created the famous calaveras of the Day of the Dead. Throughout his life he created calaveras as a form as expression because there wasn't freedom of speech at the time. He drew calaveras of ordinary people and even of his friends. A theme presented was that poor or rich we all end up as calaveras (skeletons).I enjoyed learning about the history of the calaveras and the artist.
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For this biography, Tonatiuh focused on the different techniques Posada used to create his work of art, what influenced him, and the possible meaning to some of his illustrations. Tonatiuh's illustrations are once again inspired by the Mixtec Codex and as soon as you see the cover of the book, you can identify it as his work. In this books however, he also juxtaposes some of Posada's work to his bringing to life to Posada's work once again. Author's note, bibliography, glossary, and index can be found at the end of the book.
Students in grades 2-5 would enjoy this 2016 Siebert Medal Winner. I would use it in the classroom when teaching biographies, artists around the world, and political cartoons/freedom of speech. I saw a YouTube video on this book, but it was unfortunately not of great quality in both video and sound. There is an audio version of this book which received good reviews. ...more
This book is a great introduction to a few aspects of Mexican culture and history. Important terms are written in Spanish and defined for Eng
Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras is a non-fiction biography of the Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada written for children by Duncan Tonatiuh. This book reveals how the artist created calaveras and how the calaveras rose to significance in Mexico's Dia de Muertos festival. It is also the 2016 recipient of the Tomás Rivera Book Award.This book is a great introduction to a few aspects of Mexican culture and history. Important terms are written in Spanish and defined for English speakers. Early elementary students will be captivated by the detailed and colorful illustrations. This book is also great for increasing vocabulary in both Spanish and English and a teacher could use it to teach students how to use semantic and syntactic clues to expand vocabulary.
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I loved learning about Posada and getting a deeper look into the history of calavera art, but I especially enjoyed the historical breakdown at the end and the illustrations. I lived in San Diego for 8 years and in Southern California for most of my life, so the Mexican culture was all around me for most of my life. I have grown up learning about calavera art and imitating it in many of my Spanish classes, whether it was drawing, cut outs, or even designing sugar skulls with frosting. Our Spanish teacher would tell us about the history (in Spanish of course) while we were crafting. I liked how the book offered ideas of how Posada might have been connecting real world situations metaphorically through his art. I also really liked the detail at the end of the book including the glossary of terms. It was nice to have them to explain the meanings behind the Spanish words in the story. I thought this was a nice and tasteful, yet still entertaining look into a small piece of Mexican history and culture in a way that was appropriate for young children.
Genre: Information or Nonfiction, Biography
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-ebook on Kindle
Many people hear, El Dia de Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, and immediately think of calaveras, or the skeleton figures that are often depicted during this festival doing everyday activities. However, not everyone knows about their origin. Awarded the Pura Belpre Medal, Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh is a biography that celebrates the life of the artist Jose Guadalupe Posada and his contributions to Mexican Art through his calavera prints. The autho
Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh-ebook on Kindle
Many people hear, El Dia de Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, and immediately think of calaveras, or the skeleton figures that are often depicted during this festival doing everyday activities. However, not everyone knows about their origin. Awarded the Pura Belpre Medal, Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh is a biography that celebrates the life of the artist Jose Guadalupe Posada and his contributions to Mexican Art through his calavera prints. The author, Duncan Tonatiuh, is a multi-award winning Mexican-American author and illustrator. I was lucky enough to find this book on the ALSC website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/.... This beautifully illustrated picture book can be used in multi-cultural, history, literature, and art units across 1st-5th grade levels. However, anyone would enjoy learning about this trivialized artist.
The book captures a young reader's' attention with an illustration of the Mexican artist's ofrenda, or an altar for remembering and honoring the dead. Charcoal pencils and engraving tools are shown on the ofrenda to give young readers clues to who Posada was when he was alive. The author Tonatiuh tells Posada's story with the help of his own mixtec codex inspired illustrations. Posada is shown as an infant, a student, and eventually an artist working in a print shop. The author clearly explains Posada's preferred artistic mediums of lithography, engraving, and etching helping young readers understand the complexity of Posada's work. Posada's story continues with his early work as a political cartoonist and activist. Tonatiuh display's Posada's prints throughout the book. Later in his life, Posada began observing people and depicting them as calavera's. Posada expressed his views and opinions through these drawings to remind people of their inevitable mortality. Tonatiuh does a wonderful job explaining and showing how Posada's art appealed to and was enjoyed by ordinary people.
One of Posada's print showcased in Funny Bones was inspired by a woman that Posada observed, wearing fancy clothes and acting better than everyone else. Tonatiuh writes in his book, "Was Don Lupe (Posada) saying that no matter how fancy your clothes are on the outside, on the inside we are all the same? That we are all calaveras? (Tonatiuh, 2016, p.23)
In another print, Posada "drew some wild skeletons racing and trampling one another. Was he saying that we can try to go faster but one day we will all reach the same finish line and become calaveras?" (Tonatiuh, 2016, p.23)
Written as a biography, this book can be placed in the nonfiction genre and includes many text features that teachers can use to point out to their young audiences. There is a glossary and index at the end of the book with defined terms. Tonatiuh also includes an author's note giving young readers background knowledge about El Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is needed to understand certain symbolic images and Spanish words that pop up in the book. No matter how this book is used, it has the power to help children develop cultural sensitivity, as well as enrich a child's understanding of art, literature, and history.
...more It's the tale of an artist who was involved in politics and printing in Mexico. Jose Guadalupe Posada was a fabulous artist, mainly of skeletons and featured during the Day of the Dead. My favorite quotation from the biography is "...no matter how fancy your clothes are on the outside, on the inside we are
With a title like "Funny Bones" I was expecting something that would make me laugh out loud! However, this book is informative and interesting - and afterwards it did leave a smile on my face.It's the tale of an artist who was involved in politics and printing in Mexico. Jose Guadalupe Posada was a fabulous artist, mainly of skeletons and featured during the Day of the Dead. My favorite quotation from the biography is "...no matter how fancy your clothes are on the outside, on the inside we are all the same?" in reference to one of Posada's printings of skeletons wearing fancy hats. This could be such a good conversation initiator. At the end of the book the author asks what Posada's skeletons would look like today. That could also lead to an activity which could increase readers comprehension.
I would definitely recommend this book for classroom use with 3rd through 5th grade students. While the pictures are beautiful I think it would be hard for younger readers to grasp some of the new vocabulary.
...moreMy first picture book "Dear Primo, a letter to my cousin" is published by H N Abrams and will be in stores March 1st, 2010.
My illustrations of the AH1N1 in Mexico were selecte
I was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I received my BFA from Parsons School of Design and my BA from Eugene Lang College, both of them divisions of the New School University in New York City.My first picture book "Dear Primo, a letter to my cousin" is published by H N Abrams and will be in stores March 1st, 2010.
My illustrations of the AH1N1 in Mexico were selected to be a part of CONACULTA's catalog of Mexican illustrators for children and young adults. They also appeared in the BBC when the pandemic broke out.
My short graphic novel Journey of a Mixteco was awarded the prize for the best thesis in the Integrated Design Curriculum department at Parsons. It appeared serially in the webcomix site topshelfcomix 2.0
I'm currently working on two new picture books. And I regularly upload new illustrations about current events to my blog.
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