Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Book Review:

What do you do when Death comes to your birthday party? You invite him in, and say, "Just a minute!" You have too many chores to do to leave so soon; he'll just have to be patient.

When Señor Calavera, the tall skinny skeleton, comes to fetch Grandma Beetle, he can't quite get her out of the house. "Just a minute!" she refrains. First, she must sweep one house, and then she must boil two pots of tea, and then make three pounds of corn into tortillas--on and on, until even Señor Calavera is joining in on the fun for her birthday party, and promising to return next year for the celebration.

Just a Minute is a counting book for pre-school children, but it will also engage older children by introducing the complex and mature subject of death in a non-threatening, even playful way. For older children, it can also be used in libraries and classrooms to introduce the trickster figure in folktales, and would be well paired with titles from other cultures, such as Gerald McDermott's Anansi the Spider, and his trickster tale series, including Raven, Coyote and Zomo the Rabbit.

Morales' illustrations are full of rich colors, warm hues, and lots of movement, producing a magical feel. Folk art style adds to the flavor of the story. Señor Calavera resembles a Día de los muertos figure. The people are represented as round and bold, similar to those painted by Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Mexican elements--papel picado, chile peppers, and piñatas--are included as images in the story. Just a Minute received the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award in 2004 for the art's richness in cultural elements. The visual experience and the multi-layered content of Just a Minute will delight children of all ages.

About the Book | Book Review | Children's Voices | Storytime Plan | About the Reviewers