Francisco X Alarcón Children's Books

Francisco X Alarcón we love your poems. Thank you for also writing for our children. Your children's books are amazing. 

Muchas gracias for visiting El Salvador for the annual Children's Poetry Festival. Salvadoran children, teachers and librarians are sending you abrazos con muchos deseos de buena salud.

You are in our prayers. We need to go back to El Salvador and eat pupupas at Olocuilta.  

This is a list of Francisco X Alarcón Children's Books

Poems to Dream Together: Poemas para soñar juntos 

Illustrated by Paula S. Barragán

A young boy dreams that "all humans / and all living / beings / come together / as one big family / of the Earth." So begins this delightful bilingual collection of poems by Francisco X. Alarcón. As we travel through the boy's colorful universe, we learn about his family and community working together and caring for each other and the world in which they live. Neighbors help repair adobe homes. The boy and his family share old photographs, tend their garden, and pamper Mamá who "works day and night." Tribute is paid to those who toil in the fields, and to César Chávez. Most of all, we see how dreams can take many forms, from the fantastic imaginary ones that occur while we sleep to the realistic ones that guide our lives and give us inspiration for the endless possibilities of the future.

Partly based on Alarcón's own dreams and family memories of growing up in Mexico and California, and vibrantly illustrated by Paula Barragán, these joyous, universal poems will inspire all readers to dream their own dreams for a better, compassionate, and loving world.

"Close your eyes / and now get ready / to hop on a dream.”

Animal Poems of the Iguazu/Animalario del Iguazu

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

In the lush rainforest of the Iguazú National Park, toucans and butterflies flit through the trees while sleek jaguars prowl the jungle floor. Dazzling waterfalls provide a thunderous backdrop while great dusky swifts keep watch overhead. In this magical journey through one of the wonders of the natural world, renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcón follows the Amerindian oral tradition, allowing the animals to speak for themselves in their own roaring, soaring, fluttering voices. Maya Christina Gonzalez’s glorious mixed media illustrations bring the vibrant colors and textures of the rainforest to life.

Iguanas in the Snow: and Other Winter Poems / Iguanas en la nieve: y otros poemas de invierno

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

This collection invites us to celebrate winter -- by the seashore, in the city of San Francisco, and in the ancient redwood forests of the Sierras. We see a city where people have become bridges to each other and children sing in two languages. A family frolic in the snow reminds the poet of the iguanas playing by his grandmother's house in Mexico. The seedling redwoods promise tomorrow. Maya Christina Gonzalez creates a spirited family of children and adults making their way through lively settings.

Laughing Tomatoes: And Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risuenos: Y Otros Poemas de Primavera

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

Tomatoes laugh, chiles explode, and tortillas applaud the sun! With joy and tenderness, delight and sadness, Alcarcón's poems honor the wonders of life and nature: welcoming the morning sun, remembering his grandmother's songs, paying tribute to children working in the fields, and sharing his dream of a world filled with gardens. Artist Maya Christina Gonzalez invites us to experience the poems with her lively cast of characters―including a spirited grandma, four vivacious children, and playful pets who tease and delight. Follow them from page to page as they bring each poem to colorful life. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems is a verbal and visual treat, giving us twenty opportunities to see everything for the first time.

From the Bellybutton of the Moon: And Other Summer Poems/ Del Ombligo de la Luna: Y Otros Poemas de Verano

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

From the Bellybutton of the Moon is renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcón's fresh collection of 22 bilingual poems inspired by his touching recollections of childhood summers in Mexico. With a poet's magical vision, Alarcón takes us back to his childhood when he traveled with his family to Mexico to visit his grandma and other relatives. We travel with him in the family station wagon, across the misty mountain range to the little town of Atoyac. There, in the beloved town of his ancestors, we hear his grandma's stories, sample Auntie Reginalda's tasty breakfasts, learn about the keys to the universe, and take playful dips in the warm sea. The lighthearted illustrations of Maya Christina Gonzalez perfectly capture the spirit of summer in Alarcón's Mexico where "colors are more colorful, tastes are tastier, and even time seems to slow down.”

Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems: Los angeles andan bicicletas

Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

In Angels Ride Bikes, Francisco Alarcón invites readers to experience autumn in Los Angeles, where dreams can come true. In the poet's imagination, mariachis play like angels, angels ride bikes, and the earth dances the cha-cha. In this bilingual edition, the images and the poems bring to life the people and places from Alarcón's childhood.