Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems

In Angels Ride Bikes, Francisco Alarcón invites us to experience autumn in Los Angeles—the City of the Angels—where dreams can come true. In the poet's whimsical imagination, mariachis play like angels, angels ride bikes, and the earth dances the cha-cha-chá. Francisco celebrates the simple joys and trials of everyday life: a visit to the outdoor market, the arrival of the ice cream vendor, the first day of school. He honors his family and pays tribute to his mother, who taught him that with hard work and education he could realize his dreams. Maya Christina Gonzalez's spirited images perfectly complement each poem, bringing to life the people and places in Francisco’s childhood. This is the third seasonal bilingual poetry collection by this award-winning team.

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Francisco X. Alarcón is an award-winning poet and educator. Raised in Mexico and California, he is a strong proponent of writing as a universal means of self-expression available to everyone—not just the literary elite. Currently, Francisco directs the Spanish for Native Speakers Program at the University of California, Davis.

Maya Christina Gonzalez is a celebrated artist and illustrator with a deep love for nature. She has illustrated nearly 20 books for children, many of which have won awards. Her classroom workshops encourage students and teachers to always be fearless in creating art. Maya lives, paints and plays in San Francisco, California.
 

Themes: Poetry, Community, Family/Intergenerational, Immigrant Lives, Environment/Nature

Related Books: Animal Poems of the Iguazú, From the Bellybutton of the Moon, Iguanas in the Snow, Laughing Tomatoes

Teacher’s Guide
 

•    2000 Notable Book for a Global Society Award Winner
•    1999 Américas Award Commended Title
•    1999 National Parenting Publication Award Gold Award in the Category of Books of Folklore, Poetry & Song
•    1999 Parent's Choice Picture Book Recommendation

"An impressive assortment of bilingual verses and brilliant art . . . [Gonzalez] is never afraid to dip her brush in a palette of wild colors, from blues and purples to yellows and browns." —Oakland Tribune

"Welcome this new collection and then await the winter addition to complete the seasonal quartet." —Booklist

"Los Angeles is celebrated in bilingual poems, and in paintings as bold and extroverted as the great multicultural city itself." —L.A. Parent

"The poems … will, no doubt, introduce many grandchildren to the language of their grandparents." —MultiCultural Review