Just In Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book

by Yuyi Morales

Three-Time Pura Belpré Winner Yuyi Morales takes us on a new journey with Señor Calvera, the skeleton from Day of the Dead celebrations. Señor Calvera is worried. He can’t figure out what to give Grandma Beetle for her birthday. Misunderstanding the advice of Zelmiro the Ghost, Señor Calvera decides not to get her one gift, but instead one gift for every letter of the alphabet, just in case. Una Acordéon: An accordion for her to dance to. Bigotes: A mustache because she has none. Cosquillas: Tickles to make her laugh… only to find out at the end of the alphabet that the best gift of all is seeing her friends.

Morales’s art glows in this heart-warming original tale with folklore themes, a companion book to her Pura Belpré-winning JUST A MINUTE.

Just In Case is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2009 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration and a Pura Belpré Honor Book for Narrative.

Latino Interest.

In English with Spanish vocabulary.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cultural, Spanish Literature, Latinx, Fiction, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2008

About the author

Yuyi Morales is the illustrator of Kathleen Krull’s Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, whose accolades include a Pura Belpré Award and a Christopher Medal, as well as the Pura Belpré Award-winning Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes. Born and raised in Mexico, she now lives in northern California.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Señor Calvera looks for the perfect gift - but in the end he learns about giving. Very nice book that teaches children the importance of family and friends. We often forget that it is not so much what we give, but how we give, that really matters. This is a good book for a small child who may need to put this lesson into perspective.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wonderfully talented picture-book creator Yuyi Morales, who first explored the story of Señor Calavera ("Mr Skull") and Grandma Beetle in her Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book , revisits the pair here, in this immensely engaging alphabet book. As Señor Calavera sets out to attend his friend's birthday party, he is waylaid by Zelmiro the Ghost, who reminds him that he must bring a present—something the recipient will love. As our skeletal hero begins selecting gifts, from A to Z, Zelmiro keeps reminding him that it is the recipient who matters. When Señor Calavera finally amasses a wealth of gifts, and then an accident destroys them, it seems all is lost. Fortunately however, he has something to bring after all—Zelmiro himself, who is the ghost of Grandma Beetle's husband...

Just In Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book was awarded a Pura Belpré Award for illustration and a Pura Belpré Honor for Narrative—two distinctions that were very much deserved. The artwork (as always, with Morales) was gorgeous, utilizing a lovely color palette and beautifully stylized figures, capturing the humorous and heartwarming aspects of the story to perfection. The visuals here have a Day of the Dead feeling—I have seen this one pop up on Day of the Dead picture-book lists—although it does not directly address that holiday. The story itself is engaging, with a repetitive structure that works the alphabetic part of the book into a larger narrative about birthdays, parties and gifts (not to mention loved ones!). There's plenty of Spanish vocabulary—the gifts are presented in Spanish and then in English—making this an excellent book for use with ESL students, as well as a wider audience looking for creative alphabet books.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just read Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by the same author/illustrator. This is a sequel of sorts to that book.

This is an alphabet book with A through Z highlighted, but the story is what’s most important in this book. The A through Z are done with Spanish words; the rest of the story is told in English.

It’s Grandmother Beetle’s birthday. Again. Señor Calavera wants to bring her gifts that she will love, and he gathers them to bring, each gift starting with an A through Z. There’s a bit of a catastrophe along the way, but there is a happy surprise ending.

I really appreciate the illustrations. I liked the lovely touch of having the heart shaped birthday cake.

The previous book focuses on Grandmother Beetle throughout the book, but in this book she doesn’t appear until close to the end, so unfortunately there aren’t as many illustrations of the cat or the grandchildren, which I particularly liked in the previous book, but this book also has a delightful story and really fun and beautiful illustrations.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! This is a cute story about a skeleton, Senor Calavera, that is going to Grandma Beetle's birthday party. On his way, the ghost of Zelmiro stops him to remind him to bring a present for Grandma.The skeleton goes through every letter of the alphabet while finding presents to bring for her. The ghost of Zelmiro keeps having the skeleton find more presents "just in case". On the way to the party, the skeleton, who was riding a bike, zoomed down a hill, fell, and lost everything that he had gathered to bring for Grandma Beetle. Can he still manage to bring her something that she will enjoy? You'll have to read to find out! This is a sweet story, and all children would enjoy reading about Senor Calavera's adventure while finding the perfect gift to bring to the party. The pictures are colorful, and Senor Calavera resembles the sugar skulls that are made for Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. I believe that students from a Latino/a background would thoroughly enjoy seeing this, but I also plan to use this book in my classroom that lacks diversity to start a discussion about different traditions around the world. I highly recommend this playful book!

[Guanlan Xu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age 4 and up

This book is good for kids who want to learn Spanish alphabet with fun. Each Spanish word has its English explanation which makes learning much easier. Although the main character Señor Calvera is the death, his image is positive. As Señor Calvera thinks about the gifts, he became more caring about grandma’s happiness not just want to give a meaningless gift. At last, he brought grandpa to the birthday party. This book teaches kids more than alphabet but the love among our family. It is really worth to have this book for your kids.

[Heather Edrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Spanish Alphabet book that would be a great aide for English Language Learners.

[Kathy (Kindle-aholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations and the humor. Has AR quiz. Level J, I think.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is almost time for the Grandma Beetle’s birthday party and Señor Calavera is nearly ready to go, tie ironed, bike maintenance… Then Señor Zelmiro appears suggesting Señor Calavera should bring a gift. He has time. Unsure of what would make Grandma Beetle most happy to receive on her special day, Señor Calavera will choose gifts of every letter of the alphabet.

As he collects gifts alphabetically— Una Acordéon: An accordion for her to dance to. Bigotes: A mustache because she has none. Cosquillas: Tickles to make her laugh—Señor Zelmiro keeps egging him on, asking him if these are the gifts Grandma Beetle will really want. They are all good gifts, but what was the most precious? [one ring to rule them all?]

Señor Calavera worries, and time is running close to missing the party entirely.

The skeleton on his bicycle makes it one letter past xilografia before disaster strikes. Never fear, as you might guess, Señor Calavera does make it through the alphabet to find a gift precious to everyone at the birthday party.

The colors are as lively as the text, and as warm as the sentiment. The details are worth lingering over, little touches here and there; e.g. the bone texture of the skull beneath a differentiated layer of paint where it is decorated. The translucence of the ghost is beautifully done, lending Señor Zelmira a solid presence, the white dots lending a silvery sparkle (like in Grandma Beetle’s hair).

I was taken with the inclusion of the book resting beneath Señor Calavera’s hat in his bedroom: Cien años de soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) [by Gabriel Garcia Marquez].

I was really taken with privileging all the text by not italicizing the Spanish language words. I should do a post on code-switching. No, the only italicizing was appropriate to the exclaimed (thus emphasized) ¡Quizás! (maybe or perhaps). Looking up the word Quizás led me to a YouTube video of Andrea Bocelli and Jennifer Lopez singing “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás.” Naturally, I want to share that link here. You’re welcome.

I mentioned I should do a post on code-switching, but I should really get Natalya to talk about it and her brief exchange with Poet Eduardo C. Corral on just whom bilingual picture books are really for?

Ignore the impulse to consider Just in Case a foreign language acquisition tool, and employ it as you’d do any picture book: as a tool of language acquisition. Natalya (nearly 14 now) and I will still occasionally indulge an alphabet game. The level of difficulty has been amped since she was 5, of course. But I wish we’d known xilografia back when, as ‘x’ can be the most limited alphabet game letter otherwise. I wish we’d had this book back then.

~L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lexile: N/A but appropriate for ages 4-8
Age level: Primary
Genre: Traditional, multicultural

Main characters: Senor Calavera, Grandma Beetle, Zelmiro the Ghost
Setting: Somewhere that seems like the south west

Just In Case is a whimsical picturebook written in modern folklore. The main character, a skeleton named Senor Calavera, is preparing for his best friend, Grandma Beetle's birthday party. He diligently pumps air into his bicycle tire and irons his favorite tie, making sure that he looks snazzy and his trip is smooth and easy. As Senor Calavera begins his bicycle ride to the party, a plump, jolly ghost stops Senor Calavera as he cruises past the cemetery. It was Zelmiro the Ghost! Zelmiro complimented Senor Calavera on his party attire, but asked him, "Are you forgetting something?"
Senor Calavera thought for a minute and realized that he had completely forgotten to bring a gift!
Zelmiro the Ghost assured him it wasn't too late and that Senor Calavera still had ample time to find a gift and make it to the party on time. Senor Calavera quickly got to work, finding the best gifts for his beloved friend. Senor Calavera finds gifts that start with the letter of the alphabet from A-Z. He first finds an acordeon, bigotes, cosquillas, and chiflido. The translation of the gift is given underneath the spanish name. After each set of gifts that he finds, Zelmiro tells him that Grandma Beetle is going to adore the gifts, but asks him, "Are you sure you have gotten what she would love the MOST?" Senor Calavera ends up finding 27 gifts. One for each letter of the alphabet. By the time he is done, he is nearly late to the party. He gets on his bicycle with his gifts and pedals as fast as he can, but takes a fall and many of his gifts are ruined. Unsure of what to bring his best friend, he realizes, he can bring Zelmiro! It is revealed that Zelmiro is Grandpa Zelmiro, Grandma Beetle's partner.

Main ideas: time management (ha), keeping your commitment, listening (or not listening) to what other people advise you to do

Personal reaction: I like this book because it introduces unique Spanish vocabulary words for each letter of the alphabet. The story features themes of punctuality, effort, and perseverance. It stays true to latin@ folklore, using the traditional calavera and friendly ghost who brings words of advice.

Recommend? I recommend this book for younger students who come from Spanish speaking backgrounds especially, because they may be familiar with the imagery and mexican folklore inspired storyline. Even if students are not familiar with these ideas, however, I think it is a creative book that humorously depicts Senor Calavera as a loving man who wants to please his friend.

[Alissa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: This book would be great for students in 1st - 3rd grade.

Appeal: This book has wonderful illustrations that are colorful and very fun. The students will love the main character who is a skeleton and all of his different gifts he collects.

Application: This book is a Spanish alphabet book, so I would probably use it to incorporate Spanish vocabulary in with my other vocabulary lessons. If I were just to read this book, I would read it to the class aloud and then have the students do an activity. They would pick five different things they would give as presents all starting with different letters. They would use one Spanish word from the story and then pick four different presents for the rest and draw pictures and label them.

Award: 2009 Pura Belpre Honor Book for narrative
2009 Pura Belpre Medal Winner for illustrations

REVIEW:

School Library Journal
( September 01, 2008; 9781596433298 )
Gr 1-3-Senor Calavera, a dapper skeleton wearing a fedora and striped tie, receives an invitation to Grandma Beetle's birthday party. Zelmiro the Ghost reminds him that he needs to take a present and suggests that "the best present to give a friend is the thing she would love the most." The silent Senor Calavera collects gifts alphabetically, including an accordion (una acordeon) to make music for her, a jaguar to protect her (un jaguar), and 15 more years to add to her life (quince anos). As these thoughtful gifts fill his bicycle basket to overflowing, the shimmering ghost encourages him to keep looking. When the skeleton loses control of his bike on the very hill where Zelmiro was buried, all the beautiful gifts are ruined. Grandma Beetle is blowing out her candles when the Senor finally arrives with the perfect tribute-Grandpa Zelmiro, who is a ghost no longer. Luminous, jewel-tone spreads chronicle the collection of gifts and pay homage to a rich Mexican culture. A comic book (una historieta) cleverly recalls Senor Calavera's first meeting with Grandma Beetle in Just a Minute (Chronicle, 2003). The floating, semitransparent form of Zelmiro the Ghost becomes the solidly human form of Grandpa Zelmiro, who lovingly embraces his wife. Part ghost story and part alphabet book, this trickster tale transcends both. Librarians will want to share it for the beautiful language, the spirited artwork, and the rightness of the ending.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

I agree with this review, it gives a detailed summary of what the book is about and encourages teachers to share it with students because of the great illustrations and writing!

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Just In Case, A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book

Genre: Children's Spanish alphabet book

Summary: Senor Calavera is one his way to Grandma Beetle's birthday party when he is told by the ghost Zelmiro that he has forgotten to get a loved gift for Grandma Beetle. On the journey to the party, Senor Calavera tries to find a series of gifts from A-Z that Grandma Beetle would love the most.

A. This critique focuses on the beautiful illustrations used in this story to show the story's setting and character portrayal.

B. This book is a sequel to an earlier work by the author, "Just in Time" that also includes an adventure involving Senor Calavera and Grandma Beetle. The illustration on the first page shows Senor Calavera at his home, bent over an ironing board preparing for the party by ironing the same tie he is wearing! This scene is wonderfully set in a mauve and purple colored room, a small ceiling light above Senor Calavera's head casts a warm gold tone on his skull (Calavera is skeleton), and he is standing on a colorful Mexican inspired rug, and the Mexican floral pattern on a drawer is painted in beautiful detail. A plain bicycle sits in the room, but its spokes contain several small multi-colored balls, and a string of green, red, blue, and red butterflies strung across the ceiling appear to be floating in the air, and a translucent bottle of cologne with reflected light sits on a side table. Throughout the story, the ghost Zelmiro is drawn using pale, monochromatic, transparent colors that give him a diaphanous other worldly appearance. He actually looks like he has no substance, other objects can easily be seen right through him (pg 11-12). In addition, Zelmiro is always drawn with several shimmering dots of light that cast an iridescent sheen on the ghost that shows he is a bright and lively spirit.

C. Curriculum connection: Spanish class for children learning Spanish words and the alphabet or an art class to introduce monochromatic color schemes, and transparent effects.

[Christina Mathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales in 2008. It is a story about Señor Calavera finding a present for Grandma Beetle’s birthday. He had such a blast at last year’s birthday party, that he wouldn’t miss it for anything this year. On his way to the party Zelmiro the Ghost reminded him that he forgot the present. As Señor Calavera goes looking for the present, he goes through the alphabet with Spanish names for his presents. He then tells you what the English name is. For example his first present is, “Un Acordeón. An Accordion for her to dance to.” As he is finding these presents, he questions himself if it is what Grandma Beetle would want. He goes onto name everything in the alphabet but the Z. I was questioning why he didn’t pick up a Z present. Then he wrecked and all his presents were ruined. Now he has to go to Granma Beetle’s party without a present, or does he? This book is really interesting and education, while being fun to read. My children loved this book and I hope yours does too.
The illustrations in this book are outstanding. They take up the full page and the words are written in the solid color part of the page. Each present of the alphabet also has an illustration to go along with it. My favorite illustration was the page where he fell, flew through the air, and lost all of his presents. There is a foreshadowing picture on this page; I hope you can find it. I didn’t realize it when I first read the story. As I went back through the pictures, I realized it was there, and thought, “Oh, that is awesome.” The colors are perfect for the story. There are bright colors, pale colors, dark colors, and more. I also think the author did a great job capturing the feelings across the characters faces. I really hope you have time to read this book.

[Samantha Powley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just in Case is written by Yuyi Morales. This book is a trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book. The plot of the book is about a skeleton from the Day of the Dead named Señor Calvera. He is worried about what to give his Grandma Beetle for her upcoming birthday. He decides to not just give her one present, but to give her one for every letter in the alphabet. Señor Calvera and the help of Zelmiro, the Ghost, make a list together of things for every letter in the alphabet to get for Grandma Beetle. But the most important and most special present that grandma would love most, is her husband, Grandpa.
This book would be great for students in pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade. The theme of the party and the alphabet letters is relatable to young children and they would find it to be interesting and entertaining. Yuyi Morales also illustrated this book with vibrant and bold pictures.
As a teacher, I would consider using this book in my classroom. The book would help ELL students by being able to read Spanish words and it being written by a Latino author/illustrator. I think that after reading this book, it would help ELL students to connect with other students about a similar event that they all have in common; birthday parties. I would divide the students into groups and have them come up with things they have at their own birthday parties or they would have at a birthday party. Another activity I would do is give each student a letter from the alphabet and have them come up with something to take to a birthday party or take to some other event using their letter. Then I would put all of the letters together to make our own classroom book.

[Rosa Huerta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Señor Calavera is attending, his dear friend, Grandma Beetle’s birthday party. On his way to the fiesta, Zelmiro the Ghost stops him to ask him if he has forgotten anything. Shocked that he has forgotten to get a present for Grandma Beetle, Señor Calavera is determined to find the perfect gift. Zelmiro the Ghost tries to help him by reminding Señor Calavera that the best gift is the thing she would love the most. Señor Calavera finds many breathtaking presents for Grandma Beetle, finding a preset for almost every letter of the alphabet! But because he has taken so long to pick all these presents, Señor Calavera must rush to make it to the party on time! But, oh no, Señor Calavera rides his bicycle so fast that he falls and all of the wonderful presents are ruined. Now how will Señor Calavera give Grandma Beetle the present that she will love the most?
Beautifully illustrated with warm golden hues, Morales creates a perfect combination of an alphabet book with Spanish vocabulary, and a heartfelt tale that captures our imaginations. Each two page spread almost comes alive with motion filled illustrations. Mixing in many supernatural and cultural Mexican traditions, Morales introduces us to a magical world that promotes every reader’s imagination. You could use this text in a classroom as a read aloud, where younger children could follow along and enjoy the beautiful illustrations. You could also use this with older children to get them excited about Spanish vocabulary and maybe even play Loteria in the classroom!

[Libby Erwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just in Case by Yuyi Morales is a picture book following deathly creatures and there journey of thinking of what to get their grandmother for her birthday. Each idea that is thought of incorporates a letter in the Spanish alphabet in order, which is a cool theory for a book. I personally think the incorporation into our children's literature is a cool concept because of the growing melting pot that is present in our nation. I thought the pictures and the storyline was a cool concept that held my attention the whole time and would definitely hold a young child's. The pictures went with the story well, which I always enjoy and think is imperative. Children's learning is very picture and entertainment based, and this book does a good job while still incorporating a lesson with the Spanish alphabet.

The main purpose of this book would obviously be the learning and understanding of the Spanish alphabet. You could use this book when teaching a Spanish lesson or unit, whether or not that is over the alphabet. The entertainment aspects of this book would take it wherever you could think in a lesson. A second, and smaller, part of the book that could be pulled out is getting gifts for people that are more cherished than just something bought at a store. The characters in this book are looking for a gift for their grandmas birthday, and it is suggested to them to get things that mean something. It is cool that this book shows a lesson like that even though it is aimed at a younger age group.

[Catey Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just in Case by Yuyi Morales is a cute multicultural book about the Latino culture. This book is about Señor Calavera, and his search to find Grandma Beetle the perfect birthday present. While on the way to the party he is tricked by his friend, who is also attending the party, Zelmiro who makes Calavera think that his gifts are not sufficient enough for Grandma Beetle. All while searching for the perfect gift, this book goes through the complete alphabet with each gift being the next letter in the alphabet. I thought this was a cute story. Having taken Spanish for three years in high school, I enjoyed seeing all of the presents written in spanish words. I could definitely see this book being used as a fun read-aloud for a Spanish class. The words used could be used as vocabulary words after the book is read.

The illustrations are absolutely amazing in this story. The colors are bright, and they fit in well with the mood of the book. I love how with each vocabulary word, there is an image of it which helps understand what words are involved. When I first saw the cover of the book I truly thought that it was going to be a Halloween themed story, but it definitely is not. However, the illustrations are fairly busy, so if this book is used as a read aloud I would probably pass it around and let the class look at the illustrations themselves.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

2009 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner
Grades 1-4

This is beautifully written and illustrated story of Señor Calavera (skeleton), who is on his way to Grandma Beetle's birthday party and gets stopped by Zelmiro the Ghost. I think some children might be confused by the skeleton and the ghost and the way the face of the skeleton is painted, unless you are familiar with Mexican culture. Then, the story goes on to go through the Spanish alphabet, naming things that Señor Calavera could gift to Grandma Beetle. The middle of the story is my favorite, when they are going through the alphabet. However, I think, again, some children might be confused at the ending of when (SPOILER ALERT! :) Señor Calavera looses all of the gifts he intends to bring to Grandma and decides that he should bring Zelmiro the ghost as a gift. Zelmiro turns out to be Grandpa, who is no longer a ghost. Because I understand and know quite a bit about Mexican culture, I loved this story, but again, I think some students might be confused. I am looking forward to reading it with my students, with some explanations of Mexican culture. I am interested in seeing how they understand and appreciate the story. The best part about this book is the illustrations. They are gorgeous, bright, jewel-toned pictures. The illustrations do what the words cannot in this book. Gorgeous, gorgeous.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second multi-cultural book review:

This book is about a calavera that gets invited to Grandma's birthday party. He tries to find the perfect birthday present but along the way gets sidetracked by a spirit.The spirit makes the calavera wonder if the presents are good enough. So of course the skeleton continues loading presents on his bike and becomes more and more late to the party. Eventually the bike is stacked high with gifts, but not before the spirit trips him and everything goes tumbling. The calavera arrives at the party with the spirit in tow. The spirit just to happens to be Grandpa- which turns out to be the best gift of all.

This book is perfect for elementary students and includes wonderful example from Mexican culture. The pictures are bold and beautiful and I found myself reading the book over and over. The story is a Spanish alphabet book, so each present the calavera finds is from every letter of the alphabet: Dientes, Escalera, Fluatua, Jaguar, etc. That's a great way to teach some Spanish within the book and give Spanish-speaking students a moment to teach the class.

I especially liked how there was an emphasis on family as often seen in Hispanic culture. I felt sad when the spirit of the grandpa came to the party because it made me think of my own grandparents and how much I would love for them to be around.

[Ch_nataliepelaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of the Belpre Author Honor and Pura Belpre Illustrator Award, Just In Case is filled with beautiful illustrations of colorful, bright pictures. The main character is a skeleton, Senor Calavera who is on his way to Grandma Beetle's birthday party. Then a noise from the from the grave, reminds the skeleton that he is forgetting a present to bring to the party. The noise is the ghost of Grandma beetles late husband, Grandpa Zelmiro. Using the Spanish alphabet he shows the skeleton all of the presents Grandma Bettle would like: Un Acordeon (An accordion for her to dance to), Bigotes (A mustache because she had none) and Cosquillas (tickles to make her laugh) but he still wonders if these were the things that she would love the most. He decided to grab all of the presents from A-Z , but then disaster strikes and he falls off the bike and all of his presents are damaged. The skeleton is upset but then comes up with the best birthday present of all, Grandpa Zelmiro, Grandma Beetles late husband.
The ending of the book is sweet, and the pictures are very bright and bold.
K-3rd grade is age group recommended for this book

[Tessa Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have to say that I loved this book so much! Señor Calvera a day of the dead skeleton is looking for the perfect birthday present to give to his grandma Beetle. He goes through the entire alphabet to get her the perfect present only to find out that the best one is being able to see all of her friends. He uses spanish and english words for each item. I learned a great amount of spanish words from this childrens' novel. I think that this is a perfect book for children of all ages. It not only teaches children the alphabet but is also teaches them spanish words that they could remember. I loved this book because the pictures in the book are amazing! They are so bright and colorful you get in such a happy mood by looking at all the details and colors. Children would love this book because not only are they learning but they are having so much fun by looking at all of the fun pictures. I read this book to my niece the other day and she absolutely loved it! she fell in love with Senor Calvera and wanted to show all her friends this book. So if my niece loved it i just know more children will as well.

[Marissa Kohlrenken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senor Calavera is always welcome at my Birthday party!!

This fun and whimsical book has incredible illustrations, possibly my favorite images ever in a children’s book! I love the bright colors and attention to detail. Yuyi Morales selected eye-catching, warm, rainbow tones to use throughout this delightful story. There is a beautiful, glowing, blue and black Monarch butterfly on every page, sometimes obvious and sometimes less apparent, but it is always there. The text and illustrations perfectly accompany one another. The book has the possibility of being a bit spooky, because it is about a skeleton and ghost, and other odd creatures, but the illustrations make it bright, cheerful, and friendly. I enjoyed each of the items that Senor Calavera carefully chose for his best friend Grandma Beetle. Senor Calavera is a sweet, silly, and comical skeleton with a big heart! Each of the items was written in Spanish then described in English. This book would be a perfect picture book for a multicultural classroom or for a Day of the Dead or Halloween lesson plan. It was culturally authentic and very entertaining.

[Lauren Slanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just in Case" is an exciting tale of a skeleton who is on his way to celebrate Grandma Beetle's birthday. On the way there, he meets Zelmiro the Ghost who convinces Señor Calavera that he needs to find many presents for Grandma Beetle. Señor Calavera must use his cabeza to think of things that Grandma Beetle will like. Going through the entire alphabet, Señor Calavera manages to find wonderful regalos. However, Zelmiro has other plans and the gifts might just not make to Grandma's house in time...

With beautiful pictures and words in Spanish and English, this alphabet book is wonderful resource for children trying to learn new words in both languages. The pictures make it easy to figure out what the Spanish translation is and most Spanish words are followed by an English explanation. For example, Señor Calavera included "Un Moño. A bow to tie her hair" in his gifts.

[Cynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book for hispanic American children who live between cultures, to whatever degree.
Morales is both the writer and the artist which helps to have a well-merged art-and-story book.
Hispanic culture sometimes laughs at Death, trying live vibrantly while outpacing Death.
Good book for Halloween.

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The KitKat loved it. In fact, she wanted to recommend it to her Spanish teacher.

Library copy

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations in this children's book are beautiful, and the ending is feel-good.
Side note to self: learn more Spanish.

[Roxanne (The Novel Sanctuary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yuyi Morales is a 3-time Pura Belpre Award Winner for Illustrations, and here is the beloved sequel to Just a Minute, anoter award Winner;
Ghostly Zelmiro wants Senor Calvera to bring Grandma Beetle the perfect birthday gift. He gets a gift from every letter of the Alphabet to bring her the best gift of all!
Great illustrations! Great Unique Alphabet Tool

[Trinity Conde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This children's fiction book written in 2008 and won the Pura Belpre award for illustration. It follows our main character Senor Calavera as he is getting ready to attend Grandma Beetle's birthday party and he needs to find the perfect gift. This book is a feel good story that I would use in my classroom to teach my students about Mexican culture and vocabulary words.

[Ms.TPena Peña · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Yuyi Morales book and I can't wait for more. Funny, and keeps you guessing through the alphabet in English and Spanish. Surprise ending that is a plus for young readers.

[Margie Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the colors and how each letter was a Spanish word/ item followed up with a fun description. The ending was sweet as well since the Skelton brought back the ghost of the woman’s husband.