Caren's father, grandfather, and uncles earn their living by making fireworks, as do many of the men in the small town of Tultepec, Mexico, which supplies most of the fireworks used in local festivals all over Mexico. The fireworks we see them making in the first half of this photo-essay, however, are special: they're being made for Tultepec's own fiesta, to celebrate the town's patron saint, San Juan de Dios, the protector of pirotecnicos, those who make fireworks. Through Caren's eyes and George Ancona's vibrant and lively color photographs, we see all the preparations leading up to the fiesta, including the construction of a castillo, a tower of fireworks that will be used in the fiesta finale. On the day of the fiesta, activities begin at dawn with a procession through town on an elaborately decorated path made of colored sawdust and culminate in a spectacular fireworks display as soon as the sun goes down. Ancona's photographs are filled with cultural detail specific to the Tultepec festival; in addition, they capture the universal thrill of a dazzling fireworks display, as well as Caren's childlike anticipation and excitement surrounding the events. (Ages 5-10)

Every town in Mexico has a patron saint who is honored annually with a fiesta, and almost every fiesta has fireworks. Caren Reyes Urban lives in Tultepec, a town famous for its fireworks, and her father, her uncle, and her grandfather all work at making them. Join them now in their preparations for Tultepec's fiesta, and then for the wonderful festival itself.