Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems

In this collection of seasonal poetry, poet Francisco X. Alarcón and artist Maya Christina Gonzalez invite us to celebrate winter—by the seashore, in the magic city of San Francisco, and in the ancient redwood forests of the Sierras.

In San Francisco, people are bridges to each other and children sing poetry in two languages; a family frolic in the snow reminds the poet of the iguanas playing by his grandmother's house in Mexico. We are dazzled by the promise of redwood seedlings—like all children—destined to be the ancestors of tomorrow.

In her illustrations, artist Maya Christina Gonzalez creates a spirited family of children and adults who swing their way through colorful pages. Collages of old maps of Mexico and California provide intriguing backgrounds, and fun-loving iguanas peek out at us from the most surprising places.
 

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, Environment/Nature

Related Books: Angels Ride Bikes, Animal Poems of the Iguazú, From the Bellybutton of the Moon, Laughing Tomatoes

Teacher’s Guide
 

•    Pura Belpré Honor Award

"It is one of Alarcón's strengths that he makes both the reading and writing of poetry accessible. His work serves as an excellent pattern for teaching students to write about their own experiences. . . . Gonzalez's illustrations are bright and busy, catching the playful cadence of the words." —School Library Journal

"Fans of their earlier collaborations and professionals seeking to expand their ESL collections will appreciate this new addition." —The Bulleting of the Center for Children's Books

"A splendid book. . . . a strong sense of connection to one's heritage, as well as to nature, pervades this volume." —The Riverbank Review