This Pura Belpre Honor book is a multi-lingual alphabet book, a storybook, and a celebration of Hispanic culture all in one. The main character, Senor Calavera (“Mr. Skull”), is going to his friend Grandma Beetle’s house for her birthday, and he wants to pick up several gifts for her along the way, with the help of Zelmiro the Ghost. As Senor Calavera and Zelmiro the Ghost travel to Grandma Beetle’s house, they pick up many gifts, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each gift is named in Spanish and described in English. As they get near to Grandma Beetle’s party, and before they can find a gift that begins with Z, Senor Calavera crashes his bicycle and drops all the gifts. He soon learns, though, that he has brought Grandma Beetle the best gift of all, a gift that starts with Z, the spirit of her husband, Grandpa Zelmiro.
This book could be extremely useful in a classroom or library that contains both English-speaking students and Spanish-speaking students, especially those familiar with the customs of Mexico and other Latin American countries. It could spark discussion of what different words mean in different languages and how the gifts Senor Calavera chooses along the way have significance and value in Hispanic culture.
Morales, Y. (2008). Just in case: a trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
