BIBILIOGRAPHY
Morales, Yuyi.
2003. Just a minute: A trickster tale and counting book. San Francisco, CA:
Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780811837583
PLOT SUMMARY
Señor
Calavera, who takes people to the afterlife, visits Grandma Beetle with the
intent of taking her. However, Grandma Beetle is too busy to join him, so she
drags him along as she prepares her birthday feast—testing his patience. Who
knows when Grandma Beetle will slow down enough to join Señor Calavera!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Just a Minute combines Mexican tradition
and Spanish language in a combination counting book and trickster tale. Written
and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, this great read-aloud teaches readers to count
from 1 to 10 in Spanish while embedding a thrilling plot.
Señor Calavera
represents the Mexican angel of death, commonly portrayed as sugar skulls
during Diá de los Muertos festivities. While a skeleton may appear morbid,
Morales’s skeleton has a light, whimsical feel about him. Rather than looking
frightening, Señor Calavera has colorful embellishments on his bones and wears
a fedora and watch. At first, readers may think Señor Calavera will be the
trickster. Don’t be fooled as easily as Señor Calavera!
Grandma Beetle,
the hospitable matriarch of this Hispanic family, has a very busy day planned.
In preparation for a grand birthday celebration, Grandma Beetle—named after
hard-working Mexican ground beetles Morales remembers—must bake, boil, slice,
and so on until all the work is done when her loving grandchildren arrive.
Despite her seemingly innocent appearance, Grandma Beetle is the trickster in
this tale! She finds many ways to outsmart Señor Calavera in order to buy time
in this life.
Grandma
Beetle’s grandchildren love their abuelita.
In the images, the children, varying in age, show their excitement to be with
Grandma Beetle. The family resemblance even shows despite a slight variation in
the family’s skin tones and hair color. Other than Señor Calavera, Grandma
Beetle only interacts with her family.
The book takes
place in Grandma Beetle’s brightly colored home—mostly in the kitchen, a
frequent meeting place in this culture. While the geographic location is vague,
readers can assume, based on the pictures, that the story takes place in
current time. The kitchen is supplied with modern conveniences and colorful
appliances and furnishings, and the children’s clothing reflects attire
commonly worn today.
Just a Minute is chocked full of
cultural details, many of which reflect Morales’s life growing up in Mexico. On
special occasions, like Grandma Beetle’s birthday, the large extended family
gathers for a grand celebration made complete with scrumptious cuisine and candy-filled
piñatas. The food items mentioned in the book include treats typical for the
region: tortillas, pineapple, papayas, queso, chiles, and melons—not to mention
birthday cake! Grandma Beetle, the warm, welcoming soul, also sets a place for
Señor Calavera at her table.
Children who
cannot yet read will appreciate the dynamic illustrations created by Morales
herself. The colorful details complement the text with a display of emotions.
For example, the reader sees the expressions on Señor Calavera’s face as his
patience wears thin. Sly Grandma Beetle hints early in the story that she has a
plan to fool Señor Calavera. Readers should also note the change in demeanor
of Grandma Beetle’s cat as the story unfolds—curious, cautious, and downright
frightened.
In addition to
the illustrations, the difference in font indicates to the reader the English
and Spanish numbers. In order to differentiate between the two languages, the
Spanish font has embellishments on each letter not present on the English
letters.
To her credit,
Morales creatively incorporates a moving plot in with her counting book. The
added bonus of a trickster tale entices readers who may already know how to
count in Spanish. This original folktale serves as a tribute to the Hispanic
culture from which the author came.
AWARDS & REVIEWS
Américas Book
Award, 2003
Parent’s Choice
Award, 2003
ALA Notable
Book, 2004
Golden Kite
Award, 2004
Latino Book
Awards Winner, 2004
Pura Belpré
Award, 2004
Tomás Rivera
Mexican American Children’s Book Award, 2004
“Lit with
dancing lines and warm colors, Morales’s illustrations enhance the appeal of
this winning story even further.” –Kirkus Reviews (excerpt from back cover)
“This
deceptively simple read-aloud treat has as many layers as an onion, and is
every bit as savory.” –School Library Journal, Dec. 2003
“Along with
their useful math and multicultural elements, the splendid art and spirited
storytelling auger a long, full life for this original folktale.” –Booklist
(excerpt from back cover)
CONNECTIONS
More from Yuyi Morales
·
Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just in case: A trickster
tale and Spanish alphabet book. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN
9781596433298
·
Hear Yuyi Morales talk about how she decided to
use Señor Calavera in her books: http://youtu.be/W2rOFe8TTEA
·
When reading Just
a Minute aloud, allow children to recite Grandma Beetle’s “Just a Minute,
Señor Calavera” and count along in both English and Spanish.
A(n) [Insert Language Here] Counting Book
Write and
illustrate your own counting book after researching the numbers 1-10 of a
language other than English or Spanish. Like Morales, incorporate a storyline
with a strong plot. As you research another language, also research the culture
of origin. What symbols (like Señor Calavera) could you include?
Birthday Celebration
We see how
Grandma Beetle celebrates her birthday. Create a detailed, colorful 3-D diorama
depicting one way you have celebrated your birthday.
Señor Calavera’s Next Visit
Can you create
a trickster as sly as Grandma Beetle? In a group, write a skit detailing Señor
Calavera’s next adventure. Create a character that is able to keep from going
to the afterlife. Record your group performing your skit. Visit http://www.srcalavera.com/jarana.html
to view two videos, which give some background information on Señor Calavera
and some ideas for tricking him!
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