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Just in Case

(2008, Fiction - Picture Book, Written by Yuyi Morales, Illustrated by Yuyi Morales)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 5.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Friendly Day of the Dead skeleton knows his ABCs.

Themes in this book include:   friendship

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Children who aren't familiar with Mexican traditions will be interested to see a different way to look at death. Senor Calavera isn't scary in the book. Also, kids who don't speak Spanish may pick up some Spanish vocabulary in this alphabet book.

  • Messages:

    Like all trickster tales, this book celebrates ingenuity and creative thinking.

  • Role models:

    Both Senor Calavera and Zelmiro want Grandma Beetle to have a wonderful birthday and work hard to find her the perfect gift.

  • Illustrations:

    Rich, colorful, award-winning illustrations give added depth to a story that might otherwise run a little long for kids with short attention spans. It's worth reading for the pictures alone, which are carefully drafted and full of fine details.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Though the skeleton is very friendly, it may scare kids at first glance.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Just in Case

Parents need to know that kids who find Halloween too creepy might need some background to understand why the skeleton isn't really a bad guy and why people don't seem to be afraid of him. Kids who are already familiar with the Day of the Dead may need less hand-holding. Also, parents might want to read the book first to check if Zelmiro's transformation is something they'll want to address with kids.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Day of the Dead festivities. Learn more about the Day of the Dead and talk about how it's different from the other traditions around death.

  • Kids can retell the story using their own ABC list.

  • For the letter Q, Senor Calavera chooses "Quince anos" and the illustration is a girl in a fancy party dress. If your children aren't familiar with Quinceaneras -- the Mexican coming of age ritual for teenage girls -- head to the library to learn more.
  • Senor Calavera is worried about missing the pinatas at the party! Kids might want to make their own out of paper mache and balloons. Look online for pinata instructions.
  • If kids don't know how to pronounce Senor Calvera, give them a hand: "seh NYOUR caw la VER ah!"
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