Author : Francisco X Alarcon, Illustrator : Maya Christina Gonzalez
Preschool - 2nd Grade

Iguanas en la nieve - Iguanas in the Snow

Iguanas en la nieve - Iguanas in the Snow, Softcover, Bilingual, Book, Francisco X Alarcon, Maya Christina Gonzalez, Preschool - 2nd Grade, 9780892392025, $7.95  Out of Print  :(

Pura Belpre Award Honor Book in 2002 for Narrative

Teacher's Guide

"ha! ha! ha!"
Mama laughs
and says with joy

we look like
happy iguanas
in the snow

In their finale collection of seasonal poetry, poet Francisco X. Alarcón and artist Maya Christina Gonzalez invite us to celebrate winter -- by the seashore, in the magic city of San Francisco, and in the ancient redwood forests of the Sierras.

We see a city where people are bridges to each other and children sing poetry in two languages; a family frolic in the snow reminds the poet of the iguanas playing by his grandmother's house in Mexico. We are dazzled by the promise of the seedling redwoods -- like all children -- destined to be the ancestors of tomorrow.

Artist Maya Christina Gonzalez has once again created a spirited family of children and adults who swing their way through colorful pages. Collages of old maps of Mexico and California provide intriguing backgrounds, and fun-loving iguanas peek out at us from the most surprising places.

Listen to Vienna Rose read Iguanas in the Snow to you.  A marvelous example of the magical encounter between a child and books that we wish for all children.

"It is one of Alarcón's strengths that he makes both the reading and writing of poetry accessible. His work serves as an excellent pattern for teaching students to write about their own experiences . . . . Gonzalez's illustrations are bright and busy, catching the playful cadence of the words." —School Library Journal

"Fans of their earlier collaborations and professionals seeking to expand their ESL collections will appreciate this new addition." —The Bulleting of the Center for Children's Books

"A splendid book . . . . a strong sense of connection to one's heritage, as well as to nature, pervades this volume." —The Riverbank Review

Bilingual Collection Red Books :