Felipa and the Day of the Dead

When Felipa’s grandmother Abuelita dies, Felipa is told that her grandmother’s soul will live forever. But where is it? Why can’t she see it? Felipa looks everywhere, even trekking towards a far-off mountain, where she believes Abuelita to be. When her father finds her, he explains that souls can’t be visited: they ‘live in the mountains, and in the ground, and in everything that grows’. Then he tells her about the big celebration that is held each year in November when all the souls come to visit. Felipa helps with the preparations for the big day and finds particular consolation in decorating Abuelita’s grave. The naive style chalk illustrations in vivid colours are redolent of South American culture and help us understand this celebration so very different from our own traditions surrounding death. A sensitive and lovely book.