Book Review: The Dia de Los Muertos Story

Dia de Los Muertos might seem like a fun holiday full of sugar skulls and colorful cut paper banners, but its origins are more serious as a way to honor and remember the dead.

The Dia de Los Muretos Story by Andrea Jáuregui de la Torre and illustrated by Laura González shares the history and traditions of the day without making it scary. It describes the day as beginning in the Aztec civilization as long as 3,000 years ago.

The Aztecs celebrated their dead about six times a year. They had specific celebrations honoring children who had died as well as adults, and there were banquets and gifts to the gods in honor of those who had passed.

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico and many people converted to Catholicism, the traditions of All Saints and All Souls Day (which honor the dead who have become saints as well as others who have passed on) got mixed with the Aztec tradition and became Dia de Los Muertos.

Preparations for the holiday include cleaning the house and making an altar for the ofrendas or offerings for the dead. The cut paper decorations, known as papel picado, also come from an Aztec tradition of cutting paper (their paper was made from tree bark). These decorations represent air, and other things on and around the altar represent other elements such as a cup of water, candles for fire and food for earth.

Special foods include not only sugar skulls but also conchas (a sweet bread), pan de muertos (bread decorated with a cross), tamales and mole, among others. The book talks about other symbols used for Dia de Los Muertos including marigolds and skeletons, and explores why you might see a party in a cemetery on the holiday.

The book is full of lovely illustrations and includes a timeline of how Dia de Los Muertos has evolved and been recognized around the world.

This would be a nice book to read if you have Mexican children in your classroom or if the day is celebrated in your community to help other kids understand what it’s about. And even if those things aren’t true it’s fun for kids of all backgrounds to learn about other cultures and their meaningful holidays.

About the book: 32 pages, hardcover paper over boards. Published 2025 by becker & mayer kids. Suggested retail price $18.99. Available in Spanish and English.

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

Have you read?

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