Deep in the heart of the Yucatan Jungle, Rogelio, a rotund and spunky eight-year-old orphan, spends his Summer with a ragtag group of friends that dedicate their days to smoking cigarettes and cursing at tourists. After discovering “The Book of Spirits,” Rogelio becomes infatuated with the spiritual world, and this obsession blurs the line between his dreams and reality. In a haze, Rogelio encounters a mysterious man traveling with a horde of animals who leaves a trail of death behind him. Rogelio’s friends inform him that this man, known as the Xibalba Monster, has made a deal with the devil and has an affinity for eating chubby children. Whether through boredom, bravery, or both, Rogelio follows the man into the forest where he witnesses things he cannot explain.

Xibalba translates to “place of fright” and refers to the underworld in Maya mythology. Rogelio’s interest in this mythos and his developing bond with the monster ultimately teaches him more about the reality of life and death than he could ever learn from a book. 

- Kate Scofield