Just A Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales

Bibliography

Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, LLC. ISBN 0811837580.

Plot Summary

Grandma Beetle answers an unexpected knock by Señor Calavera, a skeleton, who tells Grandma he is here to get her and take her to her next life.  To stall the time and keep Señor Calavera impatiently waiting, Grandma begins her preparations for a special event she is hosting with her grandchildren. Though Grandma Beetle agrees it is time to go with Señor Calavera, she continues to add one more chore in a numerical order as she prepares for the event. What special event makes Grandma Beetle postpone her leave? The story uncoils itself as Grandma continues to outsmart Señor Calavera and adds time to attend her special day. 

Critical Analysis

The trickster tale is a beautiful combination of illustrations and dialogue that embeds the Latino culture within. The illustrations are created using acrylics and bringing warm tones to Grandma Beetle’s home. The colors are lively and do not have a single focal point on the pages, making the entire page engaging to all readers. One may notice that when Señor Calavera pays a visit, the background color of the sky is blue illustrating a sunny day. This can convey happiness or peace as he enters. The rich color in every page represents the vibrant Latino culture and customs seen around the world. The depiction of the skeleton alludes to a Mexican holiday known as Dia de los Muertos.

While this book introduces the concept of death to children, it does so in a playful and funny way. The ambiguity of the visit by Señor Calavera is what makes this book relatable to many young readers. The interpretation may vary from simply learning about numbers in a bilingual form, or being introduced to death in a light-hearted manner. The use of repetition creates predictability on how Grandma Beetle will stall her time.  We see Grandma Beetle outsmart Señor Calavera using her wit all while encouraging readers to learn about numbers in both Spanish and English.

In conclusion, readers are introduced to the Latino culture as Grandma Beetle prepares piñatas, tortillas, and food for a special event. Along with that, young readers will be captivated by it’s lively pictures all while learning their numbers in both English and Spanish.

Review Excerpts and Awards

2004 Pura Belpre Award

2004 Golden Kite Honor Book

2004 Latino Literary Award for Best Children’s Book

From the Award Cmmittee Chair Rose Treviño: “Morales' energetic and playful illustrations capture the essence of Mexican culture with bold and humorous motifs that illuminate Grandma Beetle's vitality and Señor Calavera's expressiveness.”

From Kirkus Revies: “The vibrant, surreal mixed-media artwork, including Mexican fabric, metal sheets, “the comal where I grill my quesadillas,” childhood drawings, and leaves and plants, represents a spectacular culmination of the author’s work thus far.”

Other Connections

Other books by Yuyi Morales

Dreamers

Ñino Wrestles the World

Connections in the Classroom

Explore the Latin culture, and create Dia de los Muertos sugar skulls. Combine a writing prompt on the importance of the holiday and how it is celebrated around the world.

Introduce numbers in both Spanish and English using the story. Students can use manipulatives to count 10 of different objects using both Spanish and English.