About the Book
In this delightful story two young children,
Ray and Amelia, discover an old New
Mexican tradition — 'los abuelos' — for the
first time.
Long ago, in the cold midwinter of
Northern New Mexico, village men would
go up into the mountains, disguise themselves
as scary old men and then go down
to the village to see who had been good and
who had been bad. The villagers would
gather around huge bonfires, or luminarias,
where the abuelos — wearing masks and
covered with soot — would tease the children
and then have them sing or dance
around the fire. Afterwards everyone would
enjoy a party with traditional treats such as
bizcochitos (anise cookies) and empanadas
(turnovers with sweet fillings).
This midwinter masquerade, which contains
elements of Spanish and indigenous
Pueblo culture, as well as sharing features
common to solstice celebrations in other
parts of the world, died out in New Mexico
for a time, but has been revived in recent
years.
A Junior Library Guild Selection.
Highlighted Reviews
 "After her family moves to the mountains of New Mexico and Amelia learns about the local legend of 'Los abuelos,' her brother succeeds in using it to frighten her. The legend—which bears some similarities to that of the well-known “Cucuy”—says that each year, soot-covered old men come down from the mountains to see if the village children have behaved. Following her brother’s taunting, Amelia hides under her covers and fears that los abuelos will come for her. Once the old men arrive however, a wonderful display of courage leads Amelia to discover the gentle truth behind the scary masks, and allows her to begin to enjoy what turns out to be a fun, traditional celebration, as much as everyone else. The end of the story displays Amelia’s entire village enjoying the yearly party following the descent of the masked men. Vibrant illustrations celebrate the traditional elements of the story and depict the abuelos’ ghostlike facemasks in a manner that should not frighten children. A perfect Halloween tale, despite the fact that it takes place in winter. Recommended for all Spanish-language collections."—starred review, Criticas
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