Poemas para sonar juntos - Poems to Dream Together, Del Sol Books

Author : Francisco Alarcon, Illustrator : Paula S. Barragan
Preschool - 2nd Grade

$121.80 for Story Collection Orange Books Spanish Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 2 Hardcover Bilingual Books, 12 Softcover Spanish Books, and 1 Softcover Bilingual Book

Poemas para sonar juntos - Poems to Dream Together, Del Sol Books

ALA Notable Children's Book, American Library Association (ALA)
Best of the Best Books, Chicago Public Library
Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College
Bookmania Pick, Chicago Public Library
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor, Jane Addams Peace Association

A bilingual collection of poetry by acclaimed Chicano poet Francisco X. Alarcón celebrating family, community, nature, and the positive power of dreams to shape our future.

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.

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

"In these free verse, mostly unpunctuated poems, Alarcón explores the world of both sleeping and waking dreams and his hope for a better world of tolerance and peace. Family members working together in their garden constitute a vision of cooperative society; people who exclude the dreams of others create a nightmare. In one poem, the young narrator imagines buffalo roaming free, whales singing opera and people living together peacefully. In another, he wants to be a happy onion who makes people sing instead of cry. Alarcón's short lines are worked around Barragán's richly colored, cut-and-paste syle illustrations, which use silhouettes, small but exaggerated details and childishly thick figures to embody Alarcón's utopian longings. Includes both English and Spanish versions of the poems." – KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Having lived in Mexico and America, Francisco X. Alarcon says 'California is a big dream come true' for his family. The seventeen poems for elementary students in both English and Spanish reflect his own experiences and views as well as the dreams of children with whom he has worked. He explains 'Adobes,' among the oldest remaining homes in New Mexico, '—like people—require/lots of/attention/and love' and discusses the joy of growing things in the 'Family garden' where 'Abuelita keeps/her mint herbs/in a small plot' and the 'Blessed Hands' of farm workers who harvest fruits 'in the fields/despite heat/rain or cold.' He suggests 'For Better Dreams' you should 'lie down in the open/and let your eyes do the exploring' and considers 'Dreaming Up the Future' by envisioning ourselves in twenty years noting that 'the best way for making/our dreams come true/is to dream on and on.' Paula Barragan's bold and bright illustrations fill the pages reflecting the culture of Mexican Americans." – SCHOOL LIBRARIAN'S WORKSHOP

"Alarcón has a knack for tapping into the experiences and emotions of childhood. This vibrant collection of 17 short, bilingual verses is about dreams - both the day and night variety - as well as the hopes and aspirations of individuals, families, and humanity at large. Rooted in the everyday world of children, the poems feature a family garden, a photo album, favorite fruits, going to school, and household chores. They also touch on larger life lessons, protecting the environment, and dreams for the future. With simple elegance, the verses read aloud beautifully and the poetic images are at once accessible and inspiring. The boldy colored, mixed-media artwork serves as a perfect complement. The art is varied and engaging, and the layout at times displays the Spanish text on top and the English underneath; at other times, side-by-side on the page; and still others on opposite sides of a spread. Overall, this is a dreamy choice for schools and libraries." – SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Author Francisco X. Alarcon's bilingual collection of Poems to Dream Together is a celebration of 'family, community and the power of imagination.' The poet recognizes the importance of questions more than answers; reminds readers, daydreaming is another way of brainstorming;' is realistic about nightmares being dreams gone awry; remembers the past with affection even when it is sometimes painful, voices the power of farmworkers' needs and hopes, and chases readers into an optimistic tomorrow. Artist Paula Barragan's dynamic illustrations offer an authentic vitality that animates Alarcon's thoughtful boy's reflections. The flat, stylized, almost primitive quality of her artwork enhances the blending of word and image into a mood of cooperation whose exuberance illuminates the author's intent." – MIAMI FAMILY