Customer Reviews

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet In Spanish And English (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I found this book to be breath taking in color and content. My childhood came rushing back and many memories. The symbolism in portraying Cesar Chavez and the earth as one was well done. The colors portrayed the warmth of the content. Excellent!

This is a must have for any chicano especially with kids. It is a magnificant piece of art that allows us to talk to our kids and others about our latino heritage in the agricultural fields of America. I bought this book because I am a fan of Simon Silva's art work and this book is like having a selection of his prints to display on the coffee table instead of the wall. It is a great conversational piece as art or history, as a tool to teach our personal heritage or as an educational piece for those of different ethnic backgrounds, and last but not least it is great for young and old. I love it!

This book is not only a wonderful cultural asset it is very pleaseing to the eyes and the spirit. Children will learn valuable knowledge about the cultures the surround us and not even know they are leaning, beacause of all the beautiful drawings. You will read this again and again. I often use just one page in storytime and it sparks a whole hour of interest.

Right away, one can see that this is much more than your run-of-the-mill alphabet books. Two extremely talented people, author Alma Flor Ada and Simon Silva, collaborate on 28 short poems that celebrate the pride of the Latino familes that work the fields as migrant farmworkers. In fact, this book is dedicated to the memory of Cesar Chavez. Alma Flor Ada has written extensively on what it is like to be a Latina immigrant in such books as "Me Llamo Isabel," and Simon Silva has illustrated such like-themed books as "La Mariposa" and "El Campo."

The poems tell of the harvest, from Arboles (trees) to Zanahoria (carrot), with C and Ch telling the story of Cesar Chavez. The poems are both in English and Spanish; in both languages, the verse is rendered with great sensitivity. The beautiful illustrations convey not only the hard work of the fields, but also beauty and hope, not to mention a strong and serene sense of family. The people give thanks to the wind, sky, rain, sun, field, flower, and Earth for all the delicious fruits, while extoling honor, both in hard work and caring in the family. I can think of few other books that tell of these things, which most people take for granted, more beautifully.

This brilliantly illustrated bilingual book is a delightful adventure into the world of language and art, "simple words and sun-drenched paintings", as Alma Flor Ada and Simon Silva take young readers into orchards and fields, alongside the people who harvest the bounty of nature, dedicated to the living memory of Cesar Chavez: "Your example and your words sprout anew in the field rows as seedlings of quiet hope." The illustrated alphabet is Spanish, text in both Spanish and English: arboles (trees) "the companions of my childhood"; duraznos (peaches) "like a gentle caress in the palm of my hand"; tomates (tomatoes) "red tomato in the kitchen, in the little tacos my godmother loves to make"; zanahoria (carrot) "The carrot hides beneath the earth. After all, she knows the sun's fiery color by heart."

Nothing less than a celebration of a shared heritage of working the land and the language of nature's bounty, the bilingual text is rendered with an eye to the beauty of words and the images wrought from the earth's palette, a rich history of the cycle of growth and those who labor to carry their fruits from field to kitchen, from the hands that toil upon the land to those that prepare the rich foods that grace the tables of grateful families. Saturated with vivid color and the dignity of hard work, Gathering the Sun is nothing less than brilliant, a reflection of the author and illustrator's appreciation for all aspects of growth, from field to heart to spirit, acknowledging "honor and pride, family and friends, history and heritage, and... the bounty of the harvest." Luan Gaines/2006.

I bought this book as part of my project assignment. I liked the fact that it was both in Spanish and in English. It teaches the Spanish alphabet through beautiful illustrations of the Mexican culture and farm workers. It is first class print and one can tell that much time and effort went into the preparation of the book. However, I did not like the fact that 'happy' farm workers covered most of the pages. I believe it is stereotyping the Hispanic population to some degree and as someone who has also worked in the farms under the blazing sun, I wasn't smiling most of the time... Overall, I recommend the book provided that parents/teachers exercise caution while using it because of its stereotypical elements.

This is one of the best bilingual alphabet books I've encountered. It is suitable for children of all ages, including adults. The poems written by Alma Flor Ada are symbolic and elegantly ilustrated by Simon Silva. Silva brings his farmworker roots to his illustrations in this life of the harvester themed book. I can't say enough about the illustrations, suffice to say, they are simple yet stunning colorful depictions of the farmworkers life. This is first and foremost a Spanish alphabet book, with an English translation; it begins with Arboles and Trees, which as you may note are not exactly both A words. Besides the excellent ilustrations, brilliant author (she has a PHD, has done postdoctoral work at Harvard and is a Fullbright Scholar), DR. Aida brings to life the alphabet with her insightful poetry. She uses simple language to convey matters of the earth and a rich cultural heritage. Not overly flowery, her use of language is one that evokes the simplicity and toughness of the life of the farmworker. Her educational and lifetime experiences, reflected in some of her some of her books like A Magical Encounter: Latino Children's Literature in the Classroom (2nd Edition),Under The Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba extend from a broad palette of knowledge that is dedicated to children. This book is one that every child can benefit from, regardless of race. Families, teachers and students will love this book. It is a book to be cherished from one generation to the next. This book belongs in all young bilingual families homes, community and school(K-12) libraries. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this gorgeous, soulful book.

I highly recommend this book. It has beautiful illustrations and poems, and teaches Mexican history. It is larger than I expected, which is great. A great value, I would have paid a lot more!

In this alphabet book, the author combines an alphabetic list of bilingual poems depicting themes of harvest, work, values, and home that both honor and celebrate the lives of migrant farmworkers. The book describes Spanish traditions and the Mexican heritage of the farmworkers with their families while introducing the letters of the alphabet in both English and Spanish. Each poem is presented first in Spanish and then in English. Zubizarreta's English poem on each page is not an exact word for word translation of its Spanish counterpart, but it translates the mood and essence of the original Spanish poem's message. Each Spanish target word describes how the plant, fruit, vegetable, person, or feeling relates to the lives of the workers. The illustrator, Simon Silva uses vibrant paintings portraying their farmlands and lives at work and at home. This alphabet book has great significance, because the poetry gives voice and pride to the experiences of Hispanic agricultural workers. The poems give strong mind pictures by using descriptive words that are attractive and meaningful to the experiences of the farmworkers. This book should be read aloud to a bilingual group of students by a reader who can skillfully use both languages to communicate the moods, otherwise maybe just one language should be read at a time. Adults as well as children will appreciate the poetry and artwork as well as the music that supplements this collection by Suni Paz. She captures the "Hispanic heart" with Spanish guitar music repeating phrases from the Spanish poetry.