SYNOPSIS

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

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Veronica Betancourt

Alarcon's collection of poems presents a young Latino boy's thoughts on the world and dreams of the world as it should be. The boy does muse about the standard dreams of world peace and racial harmony, but his more thought-provoking poems concern disregarded aspects of daily life in California. "Benditas Manos/Blessed Hands" is a question in the form of a poem: What would happen to our fruit without the labor of farm workers? Its quiet reflection is sure to spark similar thoughts in the reader. Alarcon's book is full of these quiet thoughts, which are well-paired with Barragan's vibrant collage illustrations. Her work presents the dreams and wishes of the young boy in a full spectrum of bright hues and, occasionally, Matisse-like compositions. This pairing enlivens an otherwise quiet book and makes it an appealing read-aloud. Alarcon has created an excellent book for discussion, which will certainly fit right into classroom use. After all, all children have dreams, and it is often through their dreams that they realize the problems in their reality. 2005, Lee & Low Books, Ages 4 to 8.