For people of a certain generation, Coco emblazoned The Day of the Dead and its significance to Mexican people and those of Latino heritage. In addition to being a fabulously told story, it’s a well-made movie and introduced a large about of people to the customs behind the holiday. This Moment is Special: A Dia de Muestros Story is an illustrated book that channels the same spirit and has a twist.
Our plebian knowledge of The Day of the Dead was earned from that movie, as well as, the opening sequence of Spectre. Fun fact: the parade in that James Bond film did not happen in Mexico City prior to its filming. The parade was done for that movie, but proved to be so popular that it was ushered in as an annual event. However, back to what I know about the holiday, it’s represented by a jovial, yet possibly sinister skeletal mask that sometimes has colorful geometric prints. The holiday is more about respect and remembering those who have passed away, than its more morbid, sexual or horror-bound cousin, Halloween.
This Moment is Special: A Dia de Muertos Story combines simple text, with just a little bit of Spanish. It also tosses in beautiful, soft, introspective art that’s intermixed in a story with just enough of a twist to throw young readers for a loop. It’s great to see young audiences do a double-take when a story dramatically turns away from where they think it’s going. Plot twist, as the kids today say.
The book’s narrator is a tween boy. He looks to be around ten years old and is a happy skeletal joy. He picks out his favorite books. He finds courage before going onstage to a group of his fellow bony figures. He joins other white-boned friends as they go for a bike ride and jam in their garage band. Being that this is the Day of the Dead, he finds his abuela and spends time with her. The two reminisce and hang out with a gray cat until it’s time for her to go.
The twist, and it took me more than one reading to get it-and I still might be getting it wrong, is that the boy is alive. I know that’s the point of the Day of the Dead, it’s where the living dress up as skeletons to honor, or remember the loved ones in their lives that have passed on. There’s a charming effect that This Moment is Special weaves on its readers. Through its clever use of text, its muted colors and storytelling, the book is constantly presenting a false front. Readers aren’t sure if the skeletons are dressed in human costumes or if it’s the humans who are in skeleton costumes.
Because of this, young readers will re-read it to see if they can discover minute clues in the text or illustrations that back up what they think. The illustrations are corner to corner and evoke a patient, laid-back aura. This Moment is Special: A Dia de Muertos Story is an illustrated book that’s not exclusively for those who aren’t hip to the holiday. It’s easy to see a kid who celebrates The Day of the Dead reading this book, interspersing it with memories of their participation in it. In my teacher’s mind’s eye, the students around this kid ask questions about the holiday and they’d all realize something new about one another. It’s a possible, but not probable outcome from an illustrated book that’s enjoyable for a longer period of time than just the holiday it’s written about, which is a very rare thing.
This Moment is Special: A Dia de Muertos Story is by John Parra and is A Paula Wiseman Book, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
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