Written by Sage Willow

Available on Amazon 

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Also available on Kindle.

Rex & Friends: The Halloween Adventure

It’s Halloween night, and Rex and his friends are dressed up and ready for an evening of costumes, candy, laughter, and Halloween fun!

Led by Rex, a cheerful Shih Tzu with a big heart, the friends set off together for a night of trick-or-treating, games, contests, and a little Halloween magic. But when one of their friends suddenly goes missing, their adventure takes an unexpected turn. They soon discover that the best adventures aren’t just about having fun—they’re about looking out for each other, working together, and making sure no one gets left behind.

With Juno’s playful mischief, Moonrock’s quiet courage, Shadow’s magical surprise, and plenty of sweet treats along the way, Rex & Friends: The Halloween Adventure is a heartwarming tale of friendship, confidence, teamwork, and the joy of being yourself.

A fun-filled Halloween read-aloud for young children, families, classrooms, and anyone who believes the best adventures are the ones we share with friends.

Day of the Dead Pan Día de los Muertos

Day of the Dead calls for Pan Día de los Muertos.

Let’s see how one bakery makes it.

Día de los Muertos, the festival that honors the dead, falls on Nov. 1 and 2 every year and is celebrated in Mexico and throughout Latin America. 

This also marks the anniversary of La Estrella Bakery, where the Franco family has been baking pan de muerto — sweet, round loaves full of symbolism — for Día de los Muertos.

“We actually opened on Oct. 31, 1985, just in time for Día de los Muertos,” says Erica Franco. 

Her parents, Marta and Antonio Franco, founded the bakery after immigrating to Tucson from central Mexico in the 1970s. 

The bread’s base is soft and rich, with lots of eggs, butter, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest. “Traditionally, anise is used to flavor the bread, because it’s said to have a cleansing scent, to ward off evil spirits,” Erica Franco says, “but our customers prefer the orange and cinnamon flavors that we use.”

After the dough is mixed and kneaded, it gets a long rise. Then, it gets shaped into rounds. 

Each round is decorated with ropes of dough that have been stretched and indented to approximate the shape of bumpy bones.

“The breads usually have five ‘bones,’ which were meant to represent the five fingers of the hand of the dead,” Erica Franco explains, “but our big loaves have more, because people love how crunchy these pieces of dough get once they’re baked. 

Before they’re baked, some of the loaves get a dusting of sesame seeds, a request from customers who don’t want such sweet bread.

After they’re baked, the loaves without sesame seeds get a generous brushing of syrup made from local honey and cinnamon sticks, which slowly soaks into the center of each loaf, keeping it moist. 

The syrup also acts as a glue for colored sugars, which are mixed at the bakery and sprinkled on top in various patterns.

When a figure is decorated with red or pink frosting or sugar, it symbolizes a dead adult relative; the color white, an emblem of innocence, symbolizes a deceased child.

Let’s take a look…

Day of the Dead Rituals Dates Back 3,000 Years

The Spaniards learned about Dia de Los Muertos when they arrived in central Mexico in the 16th century. They viewed the ritual, which was started by the Aztecs some 3,000 years ago.

When the Spaniards came to Mexico and introduced Catholicism to the indigenous people they blended traditions and beliefs to create their own customs.

Dia de Muertos came to be from a mixture of the Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess, Mictecacihuatl, with the Catholic influence. Mictecacihuatl is the “lady of the dead” and it is said that she watches over the bones of the dead and swallows the stars during the day.

The church rejected the Aztec’s beliefs and turned it into All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day making it on 2 days to fall into the catholic calendar. 

Mexicans have since transformed it into a truly unique holiday that they honor every year.

How It’s Celebrated Today

Today’s customs regarding Day of the Dead festivities have evolved over the years to become the tradition it is now. 

Flowers, altars, food, and music are all integral parts of the holiday.

Families will gather during the night at the cemeteries (panteons), light candles, and place flowers on the burial sites of their lost loved ones. 

Coming Soon - Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead