The Spirit of Uncle Fernando
Grade 2-4?As the Day of the Dead approaches, Nando and his mother make preparations to remember Tio Fernando. Nando's curiosity leads him to ask the adults around him how his uncle's spirit will find him when it returns: "...Will I see him? Will he make noise? How will I know it is really him?" That night, Nando discovers his uncle's spirit in a place he least expects?inside himself. Levy presents this story in both Spanish and English from the realistic viewpoint of a child experiencing the Day of the Dead celebration. She relates the customs of this traditional Mexican and Central American holiday. Unfortunately, though, the author fails to bring Nando to life. The watercolor illustrations are done in somber hues and merely reflect the tone of the text, adding nothing substantial to the story. George Ancona's Pablo Remembers (Lothrop, 1993) and Fiesta U.S.A. (Lodestar, 1995) are excellent nonfiction choices on this holiday and are available in Spanish.?Maria Redburn, Collier County Public Library, Immokalee, FLCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.