Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems

From the imagination of poet Francisco X. Alarcón comes this playful and moving collection of twenty poems about spring in English and Spanish. Tomatoes laugh, chiles explode, and tortillas applaud the sun! With joy and tenderness, delight and sadness, Francisco'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 grandmother, four vivacious children, and playful pets who tease and delight. Follow them from page to page as they bring the spring season to colorful life.

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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.
 

Also available as an audio download from Audible.com
Bilingual English and Spanish
English
Spanish

Themes: Poetry, Environment/Nature

Related Books: Angels Ride Bikes, Animal Poems of the Iguazú, From the Bellybutton of the Moon, Iguanas in the Snow

Teacher’s Guide

•    1998 Pura Belpré Honor Award
•    National Parenting Publications Gold Medal Award
•    Riverbank Review "Children's Book of Distinction" Finalist

"Alarcón, an award-winning poet, has the ability to write beautiful poems in both languages. . . the poems are fun, language-rich, and brought to life by the realistic illustrations. The illustrations are delightful."—MultiCultural Review

"Maya Christina Gonzalez has created delightfully upbeat and innovative artwork to accompany the text—so bountiful it feels as if it's spilling off the pages. Her sense of joy is immediately contagious and the paintings, upon repeated gazing, offer more and more to look at." —Hungry Mind Review

"This collection of verses in English and Spanish, illustrated with bold, primitive paintings, carves a lighthearted niche all its own."—School Library Journal