by Francisco X. Alarcon, Maya Christina Gonzalez (Illustrator)
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.
Laughing Tomatoes/Jitomates Risuenos
Francisco X. Alarcon moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, when he was 6. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach, and Stanford University. He and fellow poets Juan Pablo Gutierrez and Rodrigo Reyes founded Las Cuarto Espinas, the first gay Chicano poets collective, in 1985. He teaches at the University of California, Davis. In response to a group of students chaining themselves to the Arizona State Capitol on April 20, 2010, to protest the anti-immigrant legislation Arizona SB 1070, Alarcón penned the poem "For the Capitol Nine" and posted it to his Facebook page. An anthology of poems from the group is being prepared for publication. Alarcón judged the 2012! Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize.
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.
ISBN-13: 9780892391998
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, Inc.
Publication date: 4/28/2005
Edition description: Bilingual
Edition: English & Spanish
Pages: 32
Age range: 6 - 9 Years
- Poetry -Spanish language materials -Bilingual
- Children's poetry, American -Spring -Nature
- Children's poetry, Hispanic American - Spanish -Poetry