Our family is not too hipped for Halloween. Some costumes can be really scary and a little too overwhelming for children to be around. So, instead we like to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). As the day was coming, we talked about our ancestors who are no longer with us. We decorated sugar skulls and arranged our altar. The concept of death can be very difficult to explain to a three year old. So, how did we do it? First we watch the movie The Book of Life. It helped understand what the afterlife was. Not, they went to heaven! Many questions came out. Why do they go to another place? Do they come back? Were some of the few.
I didn’t want my child to be afraid of skeletons or spirits. I am so thankful understood and accepted that once someone dies, we simply travel to another place.
I am sure you’ve seen or heard the previews to the new Disney’s Pixar movie Coco. Which comes out on November 22nd. We really can’t wait to see it. The main character Miguel, a little boy who finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Hector, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the story behind Miguel’s family history. Why do I mention all this? The following set of books were perfect for our teachings and explanation for Day of the Dead and to show the importance of family traditions. Let’s get started! Click on the title for a direct link to the book on Amazon. For more educational books visit my book page, you’ll find additional book our family enjoys. If you missed last months book blog click on October.
Disney Pixar Coco Always Remember. Coloring book comes with four fabulous neon crayons, and 40 great black and white images. Black and white? Yes, paper is completely black and images are beautifully viewed on white ink. Which makes those neon color really stand out, giving each page vibrant feel. In the book we meet Miguel’s ancestors, and his journey to the Land of the Dead, also known as Land of the Remembered. Each page is so detailed with amazing images, flowers, Miguel’s face, skulls, Dante (his silly dog) and more. As a family we studied and looked at the pages very closely, my daughter was excited to find some of the characters embedded in the drawings. The entire family will enjoy the book, it’s perfect tool to supplement Day of the Deadteachings. Book is ideal for preschooler who can color in. Fun for everyone to color in and to explore.
Our home is very musically oriented, the next book is a must have if you have musicians at home. Disney Pixar Coco Sing Your Song: Where Your Imagination Gets to Dance! Is a mystical sketchbook where as a family we can write songs with Miguel, design sugar skull mask, create a family tree of our ancestors and more. My favorite section was definitely the family tree. This activity was a fantastic activity that correlates with our home altar. My little was was able to identify some of our ancestors no longer with us and where they belonged in the family tree. This of course is awesome because you are able to share memories of them and talk what an important role they were in our lives. 44 pages of fun activities that will help any person share memories, develop creativity and look forward to future dreams for the entire family. The book has some great writing activities, this part was where mom came in. Book is suitable for first graders and up. But if you have young ones like I do, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts or older siblings can help the little one use their imagination.
Disney Pixar Coco Friends Forever: Coloring – Activities – Stickers. Lovely book! The activities are fun and once again were perfect to teach Día de los Muertos vocabulary. Vocabulary? Yes! One of the activities show’s Miguel with his Abuelita (grandmother) in front of their family altar. The page has so much deal in the ofrendas (offering that are placed on the altar). It asks you to find the pictures of some of them. Some of the ofrendas were candle, sugar skull and more. So much fun in this book! This one definitely gave us a better idea of what kind of scenes we expect to see in the movie. This book is for all ages and perfect for the whole family.
Lastly and my favorite book is Disney Pixar Coco Mosaic Sticker by Numbers: With over 1000 Stickers. This book really helped my little one with her numbers. 24 pages filled with mosaic images waiting to be filled with stickers. Book once again narrates the Miguel’s journey. Are we in love with Coco? Yes we are! Miguel has left our family wanting more of Coco. Learning about his journey though these great books has been a unique experience. Don’t miss out on this great book collection. They’re a perfect gift and perfect for the entire family to enjoy.
