Tumba

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title Tumba (In English, Tomb) Author: Mira Canion Illustrator Chapter photography: Mira Canion Cover design: Alejandro Saldaña Other Contributors Layout edited by Yajayra Barragan Photographic contributions: Adriana García Sosa, Kerisa Baedke, Jean Louis Lacaille Múzquiz Genre Folktales and Legends Horror and Ghosts Mystery and Adventures Publisher: Mira Canion Publication date: First edition, July 2005. Later edition, date unspecified. This review is based on a book dated September 2022.	Level From Teacher’s Discovery Level 1 / 170 new vocabulary words and many English-Spanish cognates Total Word Count From the author/publisher’s website 170 new vocabulary words	Illustrations YES Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context YES Other An audiobook is available. A teacher’s guide is available.

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Mexican Latinx Languages spoken Spanish Sex and Genders Female Male (main character) Ages Teenager: 13-18 (school aged; specific age not mentioned) Adult: 18-65 Senior Adult: 65+ Social classes Other: Not enough information	Sexual Orientation Heterosexual (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes Non-disabled Non-impaired Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality Other: Días de los Muertos (fusion of Indigenous Mesoamerican traditions with Christian traditions of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day) Relationship and Family Structures Extended family: Grandparents mentioned Body Descriptions The text does not describe the characters’ bodies.	From the back of the book or the author/publisher’s website As the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration approaches, Alex is skittish. He should be excited but his grandma’s creepy conversations with returning spirits is nerve-racking. Some say she is a witch and Alex is beginning to believe it. However, the discovery of grandpa’s sketchbook could change his mind. Belonging to the genre of language learner literature, this is an easy Spanish reader containing just 170 new vocabulary words and many English-Spanish cognates.

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The cover illustration depicts a skeleton wearing pants and a hat, standing over a tomb covered in marigolds. The cover does not clearly connect to the plot of the novel. The illustrations are photographs of Mexico taken by the author and others. The photographs put the events of the story in context as they reflect the setting of the novel. The photographs do not contain the characters.	We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. *Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text?* No.	This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. *Does this text work toward goals within any of the* four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Learning for Justice? No.

LLLAB’s REVIEW
Tumba by Mira Canion is a suspenseful read for beginning Spanish learners. This story offers an introduction to the Spanish language while also introducing readers to Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebration. The story follows Alex, his sister Nora, and their friend, David. Alex is a young boy who is both intrigued and frightened by his grandmother’s connection to the spirit world. As the Day of the Dead approaches, Alex’s curiosity grows, leading him to discover a hidden sketchbook. The sketchbook may hold the key to understanding his family’s unique traditions, which are hidden deep inside a cave. The three friends race to find the hidden treasure before Sergio, the school bully. While Tumba is primarily a fictional story, it provides some general information about Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. Readers can learn about the significance of altars, offerings, music, and the belief in the return of spirits as they relate to this holiday. Additionally, the book highlights the vibrant colors, festive atmosphere, and unique rituals that characterize the Day of the Dead celebration, making it an informative introduction for novice learners. Teachers may wish to be mindful that the synopsis on the back cover uses language of ‘creepy’ and ‘witch,’ terms which may otherize the Mexican grandmother in the minds of potential readers. By the end of the story, the protagonist learns to appreciate his grandmother and stops being nervous about Día de Muertos. Throughout the novel, the author blends fictional narrative with informational text. The author notes, “I was recently intrigued by a Mexican belief that the sighting of a ghost indicates that a treasure is hidden nearby. Immediately, I thought of traditional beliefs about returning spirits during the Day of the Dead celebration… I also dug up a bit of history during the process” (p. 3, Nota de la autora / Author’s note). As a result of this blending, it is often unclear which parts of the story originate from Day of the Dead traditions and which are inventions of the author’s imagination. For example, the author’s writing sometimes gives the impression that what she is sharing is fact rather than opinion, such as a footnote that reads, “Flores-typical flower used is the marigold since it smells like a human corpse” (p. 11). The authors of this review found no outside evidence that the marigold scent mimics that of a corpse. Rather, a more common belief is that the strong smell is meant to help guide the dead back to their living loved ones. Further, the story does not provide citations or proper acknowledgement of the author’s research. For example, the novel centers on the belief that wealthy ranchers secretly buried their valuables during the Mexican Revolution (p. 3, Nota de la autora / Author’s note). The authors of this review were unable to find information on this alleged practice in historical journals or other online sources. With regard to gender roles, the female character, Nora, is portrayed throughout the novel as the object of desire of a male character, Sergio, while at the same time protected by her brother, Alex. “Sergio mira románticamente a Nora. Y Nora mira contenta a Sergio. A Alex no le gusta la situación. ‘Hola preciosa, eres muy atractiva.’ ‘Gracias’, responde Nora…. ‘Nora, no hables con Sergio,’ interrumpe Alex” / Sergio looks romantically at Nora. And Nora looks contentedly at Sergio. Alex does not like the situation. ‘Hello gorgeous, you are very attractive.’ ‘Thank you,’ responds Nora…. ‘Nora, don’t talk with Sergio,’ Alex interjects (p. 5). Teachers may wish to discuss the gender dynamics involved in the relationships between these three characters. Finally, teachers should be aware that this story features the Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices of a colonized culture, authored by someone who does not identify as a member of that culture. If you are the author of this book and you have feedback, please contact us here. If anything we have written is inaccurate, misleading, confusing, poorly worded, or lacking important context, we would be happy to update our review.

LLLAB’s REVIEW

Tumba by Mira Canion is a suspenseful read for beginning Spanish learners. This story offers an introduction to the Spanish language while also introducing readers to Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebration. The story follows Alex, his sister Nora, and their friend, David. Alex is a young boy who is both intrigued and frightened by his grandmother’s connection to the spirit world. As the Day of the Dead approaches, Alex’s curiosity grows, leading him to discover a hidden sketchbook. The sketchbook may hold the key to understanding his family’s unique traditions, which are hidden deep inside a cave. The three friends race to find the hidden treasure before Sergio, the school bully.

While Tumba is primarily a fictional story, it provides some general information about Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. Readers can learn about the significance of altars, offerings, music, and the belief in the return of spirits as they relate to this holiday. Additionally, the book highlights the vibrant colors, festive atmosphere, and unique rituals that characterize the Day of the Dead celebration, making it an informative introduction for novice learners.

Teachers may wish to be mindful that the synopsis on the back cover uses language of ‘creepy’ and ‘witch,’ terms which may otherize the Mexican grandmother in the minds of potential readers. By the end of the story, the protagonist learns to appreciate his grandmother and stops being nervous about Día de Muertos.

Throughout the novel, the author blends fictional narrative with informational text. The author notes, “I was recently intrigued by a Mexican belief that the sighting of a ghost indicates that a treasure is hidden nearby. Immediately, I thought of traditional beliefs about returning spirits during the Day of the Dead celebration… I also dug up a bit of history during the process” (p. 3, Nota de la autora / Author’s note). As a result of this blending, it is often unclear which parts of the story originate from Day of the Dead traditions and which are inventions of the author’s imagination. For example, the author’s writing sometimes gives the impression that what she is sharing is fact rather than opinion, such as a footnote that reads, “Flores-typical flower used is the marigold since it smells like a human corpse” (p. 11). The authors of this review found no outside evidence that the marigold scent mimics that of a corpse. Rather, a more common belief is that the strong smell is meant to help guide the dead back to their living loved ones. Further, the story does not provide citations or proper acknowledgement of the author’s research. For example, the novel centers on the belief that wealthy ranchers secretly buried their valuables during the Mexican Revolution (p. 3, Nota de la autora / Author’s note). The authors of this review were unable to find information on this alleged practice in historical journals or other online sources.

With regard to gender roles, the female character, Nora, is portrayed throughout the novel as the object of desire of a male character, Sergio, while at the same time protected by her brother, Alex. “Sergio mira románticamente a Nora. Y Nora mira contenta a Sergio. A Alex no le gusta la situación. ‘Hola preciosa, eres muy atractiva.’ ‘Gracias’, responde Nora…. ‘Nora, no hables con Sergio,’ interrumpe Alex” / Sergio looks romantically at Nora. And Nora looks contentedly at Sergio. Alex does not like the situation. ‘Hello gorgeous, you are very attractive.’ ‘Thank you,’ responds Nora…. ‘Nora, don’t talk with Sergio,’ Alex interjects (p. 5). Teachers may wish to discuss the gender dynamics involved in the relationships between these three characters.

Finally, teachers should be aware that this story features the Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices of a colonized culture, authored by someone who does not identify as a member of that culture.

If you are the author of this book and you have feedback, please contact us here. If anything we have written is inaccurate, misleading, confusing, poorly worded, or lacking important context, we would be happy to update our review.

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