Hard to rate. The writing can be beautiful, particularly in the interaction between the two sisters. But there are some seriousissues with appropriation.
You know, I typically try to be sensitive to this sort of thing, and I feel like some of these concerns are overblown. The main point I will grant is the issue with mistreatment of Native Americans at missions. That was probably an oversight on Telgemeier's part. But cultural appropriation? I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a more respectful presentation of the tradition of Day of the Dead. She says in the end notes that she got most of her ideas for the party depicted in the book from an actual party she attended in San Francisco. She talks about the reason people celebrate Day of the Dead and it's not just about looking cool wearing sugar skulls. I thought it was presented in a very serious way and could possibly be a springboard for kids to learn more about it. In addition, Catrina's mother has been disconnected from her roots and a part of the book is about her kids getting more connected to their own cultural roots. She apparently has relatives who are hispanic--she mentions a cousin dying from cancer with a hispanic last name and thanks families with hsipanic last names in the afterword, so I would think she would have gotten her information from genuine sources. The Spanish-speaking mission ghosts oversight isn't a small one, but cultural appropriation is not a fair charge in my opinion.
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The Spanish-speaking mission ghosts oversight isn't a small one, but cultural appropriation is not a fair charge in my opinion.