Celebrating Life and Memory: Essential Dia de los Muertos Books for Children
Celebrating Life and Memory: Essential Dia de los Muertos Books for Children
Are you looking for meaningful ways to teach your children about Dia de los Muertos? These carefully selected children’s books bring the beautiful Mexican celebration to life through vibrant illustrations and heartwarming stories. Perfect for homeschooling families exploring cultural traditions!
Understanding Dia de los Muertos Through Stories
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) offers families a wonderful opportunity to explore Mexican culture while discussing important themes like family, memory, and celebration. Through these books, children learn that remembering loved ones can be both meaningful and joyful.
Why Read Dia de los Muertos Books with Your Children?
Cultural Understanding
These stories provide windows into Mexican traditions, helping children appreciate and respect different cultural perspectives on life, death, and family bonds.
Emotional Intelligence
Reading about how other families remember and celebrate loved ones helps children develop healthy attitudes toward loss and remembrance.
Language Development
Many of these books include Spanish vocabulary, offering natural exposure to language learning through storytelling.

Best Books for Young Readers (Ages 3-6)
Gentle Introductions to the Celebration
Clatter Bash! A Day of the Dead Celebration
written by Richard Keep
Graveyard skeletons shake, rattle, and roll for a Day of the Dead celebration.
At dusk on the holiday known as Day of the Dead, a Mexican family has set out fiesta offerings in the graveyard in hopes that departed loved ones may return to visit. The playful skeletons rise from their graves to celebrate with gusto. All night long, they sing, dance, dine, tell stories, and play games. As morning approaches, they give thanks to the stars for their night of fun, tidy up after themselves, and leave no trace of their “clatter bash” behind as they return to their coffins until next year’s Day of the Dead.
I Remember Abuelito- A Day of the Dead Story
written by Janice Levy
Graveyard skeletons shake, rattle, and roll for a Day of the Dead celebration.
It’s the Day of the Dead! It’s time to celebrate! In this bilingual book, a young girl is busy helping her family prepare to honor those who have died–especially her grandfather. She misses him very much and is excited for his spirit to visit that night.
Dia de Los Muertos
written by Roseanne Greenfield-Thong
It’s Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and children throughout the pueblo, or town, are getting ready to celebrate! They decorate with colored streamers, Calaveras, or sugar skulls, pan de Muertos, or bread of the dead. There are altars draped in cloth and covered in marigolds and twinkling candles. Music fills the streets. Join the fun and festivities, learn about a different cultural tradition, and brush up on your Spanish vocabulary, as the town honors their dearly departed in a traditional, time-honored style.
The Day of the Dead
written by Bob Barner
They prepare offerings of flowers, sugar skulls, and special bread, and make delicious foods to eat and share. By spreading marigold petals, they guide the dead home to join the festivities. After hours of singing, dancing, and reminiscing, it’s time for bed.
The festivities are described in the brief, lyrical text, presented in both Spanish and English.
Day of the Dead
written by Tony Johnston
Above a small town in Mexico, the sun rises like a great marigold, and one family begins preparations for an annual celebration, El día de los muertos, the Day of the Dead. Soon they will go out into the night, join their neighbors, and walk to the graveyard to welcome the spirits of their loved ones home again. Framed by decorative borders and peppered with Spanish words, Day of the Dead is a glorious introduction to a fascinating celebration. A note at the end of the book provides factual information about the holiday.
Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book
written by Jeanette Winter
Every year Don Pedro and his family make papier-mâché skeletons, or calaveras, for Mexico’s Day of the Dead fiesta. From the Angel and Doctor to the Mariachi and Unicornio, there’s a special calavera for each letter of the alphabet. Come dance with them!
Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book
written by Patty Rodriguez
Inspired by one of the most recognized symbols of Dia De los Muertos (Day of the Dead), this book introduces little ones to emotional expressions and their first English and Spanish words―and teaches them to recognize feelings like emocionado (excited), triste (sad), and confiado (confident).
Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book
written by Yuyi Morales
This original trickster tale, with its vivacious illustrations and dynamic read-aloud text, is at once a spirited tribute to the rich traditions of Mexican culture and a perfect introduction to counting in both English and Spanish.
Skeletitos: Make Every Moment Count
written by Susie Jaramillo
Tomba-la-ca, tomba-la-ca, tomba-la! Come enter into the creepy-crawly, mischievous and mysterious world of Skeletitos, where being on the other side of life is never an excuse for not having a good time! Inspired by the beautiful Mexican calavera art by Jose Guadalupe Posada, Skeletitos is a celebration of the ordinary and the completely extraordinary. Tap your fingers or stomp your feet, no need to sit still. After all, before you know it, our time will be up!
Es La Hora De Los Esqueletos! It’s Skeleton TIme
written by Ana Galan
¡Es la hora de los esqueletos! / It’s Skeleton Time! teaches how to tell the time in English and Spanish. Following an adaptation of a traditional Costa Rican song, a group of skeletons jump out of their tombs and engage in fun activities as the clock strikes each of the 12-hour marks. With illustrations and back matter that reference the popular Day of the Dead festivities of Mexico and Central America, this bilingual rhyming book brings a fresh perspective to the Halloween season.
Elementary Age Favorites (Ages 7-12)
Stories That Dig Deeper
The Festival of Bones
written by Luis San Vicente
On Mexico’s Day of the Dead, the skeletons jump for sheer joy. And no wonder: they’ve been cooped up the whole year and now they’re ready to party. Watch the calaveras shake, rattle, and roll as they celebrate the biggest event of the graveyard’s social calendar!
Felipa and the Day of the dead
written by Brite Muller
Felipa’s beloved grandmother, Abuelita, has died. Felipa miser her terribly and is very sad. Her parents try to comfort Felipa. They tell her that the souls of the dead live on forever. So Felipa decides to find Abuelita’s soul. But where is it? She asks her grandmother’s donkey, her pig, and her llamas for help. She treks many miles to the highest mountain, but grandmother’s soul is nowhere to be found. Then, months later, the entire village is bustling with preparations for the Day of the Dead. Felipa joins in the celebrations honoring loved ones who have died, and in the process finally finds Abuelita’s soul.
Un Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the dead
written by Elisa Amado
In Guatemala, there is a village called Santiago Sacatepéquez. It is a very small but famous place because once a year, on the day of the Day of the Dead, the people of Santiago fly some of the biggest kites in the world. As large as seven meters (twenty-three feet) wide, they fill the sky over the cemetery with brilliant colors.
The Dead Family Diaz
written by P.J. Bracegirdle
Every skeleton in the Land of the Dead is excited to celebrate el Día de los Muertos with the Living. But not Angelito. His big sister has told him all about their horrifying bulgy eyes and squishy skin. So when Angelito is separated from his family in the Land of the Living, he’s petrified—until he makes a new friend.
The Remembering Day
written by Pat Mora
Long ago in what would come to be called Mexico, as Mama Alma and her granddaughter, Bella, recall happy times while walking in the garden they have tended together since Bella was a baby, Mama Alma asks that after she is gone her family remember her on one special day each year. Includes facts about The Remembering Day, El dia de los muertos.
Uncle Monarch and the day of the dead
written by Judy Goldman
A family celebrates Día de Muertos, a holiday for remembering those who have passed. When the monarch butterflies return to her Mexican countryside, Lupita knows that Día de Muertos, “the Day of the Dead,” is near. She and her favorite uncle watch the butterflies flutter in the trees. When a butterfly lands on Lupita’s hand, her uncle reminds her that she should never hurt a monarch because they are believed to be the souls of the departed. Lupita and her family get ready for the holiday. When the first of November arrives, the family will go to the cemetery to honor the memories of their loved ones. But this year is different—Lupita’s uncle cannot join them. Now, Lupita learns the true meaning of the celebration.
A Gift for Abuelita
written by Nancy Luenn
This story conveys only a glimmer of the relationship between young Rosita and her grandmother, Abuelita, before the woman dies; she relies on the metaphor of braiding to carry readers through the explanation of customs for the Mexican celebration of the dead. The story opens with Abuelita teaching Rosita that “one strand alone can be broken, but when they are woven together, they make a cord that is strong. Like my love for you and your love for me.”
Funny Bones Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras
written by Duncan Tonatiuh
Funny Bones tells the story of how the amusing calaveras—skeletons performing various everyday or festive activities—came to be. They are the creation of Mexican artist José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852–1913). In a country that was not known for freedom of speech, he first drew political cartoons, much to the amusement of the local population but not the politicians. He continued to draw cartoons throughout much of his life, but he is best known today for his calavera drawings. They have become synonymous with Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. Juxtaposing his own art with that of Lupe’s, author Duncan Tonatiuh brings to light the remarkable life and work of a man whose art is beloved by many but whose name has remained in obscurity
The Ofrenda That We built
written by Jolene Gutiérrez and Shaian Gutiérrez
It is Día de Muertos—the Day of the Dead—and the family ofrenda is at the center of the celebration! Inspired by the popular nursery rhyme “The House That Jack Built,” The Ofrenda That We Built invites readers to join in the building of a colorful ofrenda, a home altar full of symbols and meaning, one special element at a time.
This is truly an intergenerational holiday with deep familial love at its heart. Readers will recognize these moving and universal themes in the hands-on activity of building an ofrenda together, an accessible way of learning more about other cultures and celebrations. Told in warm and welcoming rhyme, with beautiful, immersive illustrations, this is a delight for readers of all backgrounds to enjoy when the holiday arrives each autumn or any time of year that calls for remembrance and connection with loved ones.
Activities to Extend the Learning
Create Your Own Story Corner
- Set up a reading nook with papel picado decorations
- Create character puppets from the stories
- Make a story-inspired ofrenda
Language Learning Extensions
- Create vocabulary cards featuring Spanish words from the books
- Practice pronunciation together
- Make bilingual story summaries
Art Projects Inspired by the Books
- Design sugar skull artwork
- Create tissue paper marigolds
- Draw story scene interpretations
Tips for Reading These Books Together
- Preview books before sharing them with sensitive children
- Use as springboards for family discussions
- Connect stories to your own family traditions
- Take time to examine the detailed illustrations
- Practice Spanish words together
When to Read These Books
While these books are perfect for the Dia de los Muertos season (October-November), they’re valuable year-round for:
Emotional development
Cultural studies units
Family history projects
Language learning
Art appreciation
