By Francisco Alarcón
Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
- Age Range: 7 - 12 years
- Grade Level: 1 - 2
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Children’s Book Press
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0892392754
- ISBN-13: 978-0892392759
The first day
of the week is
dedicated to the Sun—
with family
around
it’s always
sunny
on
Sunday
El primer día
de la semana fue
dedicado al Sol—
con familia alrededor
siempre hace sol
el domingo
So begins this bilingual collection of
poems that takes us through the week day by day. Children spend Sunday visiting
their grandparents, play with school friends on Monday, daydream on Tuesday,
eat popcorn at the local market on Wednesday, and more, until we arrive at
Saturday, when they get to play nonstop all day. Along the way, we also learn
how the names of the seven days came to be.
Partly based on the real life
experiences of Alarcón’s own family, this festive, celebratory collection of
poems highlights the daily life of children while also honoring the experiences
of the poet’s Latino family in the United States. With her vibrant
illustrations, illustrator Maya Christina Gonzalez has created a loving tribute
to childhood, to family, and to Francisco Alarcón, who passed away in January
2016.
Francisco Alarcón
was a renowned poet and educator, and a three-time winner of the Pura Belpré
Author Award Honor for his bilingual Magical Cycle of the Seasons series of
poetry for children. His many other honors include the American Book Award, the
PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, the Chicano Literary Prize, and finalist for
state poet laureate of California. Alarcón was also the author of several
poetry collections for adults and textbooks for teaching Spanish. In addition,
he directed the Spanish for Native Speakers Program at the University of
California. Alarcón passed away in early 2016.
Maya Christina Gonzalez
is a widely exhibited artist renowned for her vivid imagery of strong women and
girls. She has illustrated nearly twenty children’s books, and her artwork has
appeared on the cover of Contemporary Chicano/a Art. My Colors, My World was
the first book Maya both wrote and illustrated. Books that Maya illustrated
include Laughing Tomatoes, From the Bellybutton of the Moon, and Angels
Ride Bikes. She lives and plays in San Francisco, California.
No comments:
Post a Comment