Animal Poems of the Iquazú
Posted on Nov 10, 2008 under Good Old Basics | 6 Comments
Animal Poems of the Iquazú
Francisco X. Alarcón
Illustr. Maya Christina Gonzalez
Ages 9-12
Hardcover, 32 pages
Children’s Book Press (Bilingual edition)
ISBN: 978-0892392254
$16.95
Iguazú National Park, spanning parts of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, encompasses rainforests and waterfalls as well as a burgeoning population of beautiful plants and animals.
Acclaimed Chicano poet Francisco X. Alarcón, winner of the Jane Addams Award for Children’s Literature and the Pura Belpre Honor Award, clothes the rich wildlife of the Iguazú in a poetry that celebrates the ancestral spirit of the jaguarete (jaguar) as well as the here-and-now immediacy of the Golondrina Pardas (Great Dusky Swifts) who nest on the rocky cliffs behind the screens of waterfalls in these spectacular wild land.
Big, bright mixed-media art by Maya Christina Gonzalez takes us deep into the various worlds of the rainforest jungle. Eye to eye with toucan, coati, and jaguar, or watching the gleaming bodies of giant ants marching past, readers will love this book — rich poetic snapshots of a lush and rare place delivered on a vivid palette.
Awakening children to the living beauty of precious places such as the Iguazú is essential to passing on stewardship of these natural gems to the next generation.
As children, first we love, and then we seek to explore and understand. In this way we learn what matters to us in the world; we discover that we must protect what we cherish.
By sharing books like this one with children, we also share our admiration and love for the plants and animals of the rainforests. In this way we prepare them to understand and protect these irreplaceable places, and to teach their children to do the same.
The fact that this is a bilingual edition adds greatly to its value, pointing up the particular beauties of the Spanish language in tandem with the brilliant depictions of a wilderness nestled among three countries where this language, among others, is widely spoken. As a young student studying Spanish I would have loved this book, and no doubt students of Spanish worldwide will appreciate it, too.
See a video of Great Dusky Swifts swooping through the waterfalls of Iguazú National Park.
See a video of two playful birds in Iguazú National Park.
Ceci Miller owns CeciBooks, an editorial and book publishing consultancy that empowers authors to write, publish, and market irresistible books that uplift and inspire. Ceci has written, co-authored, and edited books with bestselling authors and experts since 1988. See new and popular book projects. Also . . . Find expert information on writing, publishing, and marketing a book in CeciBooks Chats (Getting Started series is FREE).A graduate of the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Ceci Miller is also the author of two published children’s picture books, and former contributing editor for Darshan, an international magazine. A student of yoga and meditation since 1976, Ceci leads seminars that explore language as a vehicle for personal transformation. Based on her book Sacred Visitations, and the popular book she co-authored with John Lee, Writing from the Body, Ceci’s work (both with CeciBooks authors and in public programs) blends writing, intuitive guidance, and contemplative practices that connect right brain creativity with your true intention.