Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead

John Walker is a professor of Spanish at Queen’s University.

Barrilete (the Guatemalan word for kite) is the story of a Guatemalan
tradition—building and flying kites to commemorate the Day of the Dead
(or All Souls’ Day) on November 2nd. In the little village of Santiago
Sacatepéquez, this annual religious festival gives the villagers an
opportunity to display their artistic talents. Through Juan, the
story’s young narrator, we witness the religious and cultural
preparations as he and his brothers, following the advice of their
recently deceased grandfather, construct huge kites, some as large as
seven metres wide, which they fly over the village cemetery in
remembrance of the passing of the holy souls during the previous year.

The narrative is full of interesting information about village life in
Guatemala, relating to agriculture, the harvest, cooking, the market,
family life, domestic activities, weather, games, religion, and, of
course, the fascinating phenomenon of kite building, revealed in the
beautiful handicraft, the skilful weaving, and the brilliantly designed
colored paper. Excellent color and black-and-white photos by renowned
photographer Joya Hairs, who lived in Guatemala for 30 years, were all
taken during the 1970s, before civil war traumatized the region.

Children will enjoy this beautiful picture book, which captures all
aspects of an ancient Mayan tradition.