The Tree Is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mex [Hardcover]

Naomi Shihab Nye (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995 | Age Level: 8 and up

A bilingual anthology of 102 poems and stories features the work of sixty-four Mexican writers and artists, among them Octavio Paz, Rodolfo Morales, Rosario Castellanos, Homero Aridjis, and Leticia Tarrago+a7.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up?A most enticing bilingual anthology that unfolds like a tapestry of images, languages, rhythms, and musicalities from all regions of Mexico. In the poem "Lemon Tree," from which the title is derived, Jennifer Clement urges readers to, "Remember,/the tree is older than you are/and you might find stories/in its branches." Each page holds the promise of a small jewel, poems that transform ordinary experience into extraordinary insight. There are several pieces written in Tzotzil, and one in Tzeltal, two of the languages of the Maya. Several traditional and modern folktales also appear, adding to the cosmogony and strengthening the roots of the tree. The illustrations, which appear every few pages as illuminations, employ a variety of styles and mediums, all reproduced in full color. Often magical and sometimes playful, the artwork completes the experience of being welcomed into a mysteriously friendly world in which there is much to be discovered and shared. Thorough endnotes on the contributors, translators, and acknowledgements as well as a list of titles in English and Spanish complete this remarkable volume that holds something for everyone.?Graciela Italiano, Weber State University, Ogden, UT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-12. Nye, who edited the fine YA world anthology This Same Sky (1992), has once again gathered literature in translation from a host of voices seldom heard in English. These Mexican poems and traditional stories in the original Spanish appear side by side with excellent English translations. The spacious, large-size volume includes magnificent, richly colored paintings by contemporary Mexican artists. The art is never a literal interpretation of the words; it expresses the magic realism of many of the verbal images. There's an elusive quality to the writing, whether it's by the famous (such as Octavio Paz) or by the relatively unknown. The focus is on the universals of nature and rural life rather than on urban or popular culture. This is dreamy, lyrical writing with sudden leaps from the real to the magical. Some of the poetry isn't easy, but browsers in this lovely volume will find pieces to startle them out of the mundane, as when Erika Ramirez Diez writes: "I will never be able to know the sea / Every time it arrives / it leaves." Nye includes notes on the poets, painters, and translators and on the folklore. Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Second printing edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689802978
• ISBN-13: 978-0689802973
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Central & South America

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tree is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Po, August 6, 2001

By 

Pam Wheeler (Otsego, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tree Is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mex (Hardcover)

This book may turn out to be my all-time favorite book of bilingual poetry. The frosting on the cake, so to speak, turns out to be the art work accompanying the poetry. Each time I read one of the poems I like it better than the last time. And these are carefully selected, excellent quality poems: with writers such as Octavio Paz, Alberto Blanco, Rosario Castellanos (and many more) how could they not be terrific? A lasting gift for any occasion, especially for someone interested in bilingual stories from Mexico.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Words and Inspiring Art, June 22, 2001

By 

SeashellPoint "Nancy" (Fort Myers, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tree Is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mex (Hardcover)

Being a beginning self-taught student in Spanish with a special interest in Mexican Spanish by way of my residency in Texas, I took a chance on purchasing this bilingual book and was more than delighted by what I found inside. The convenient side-by-side text of the poems and short stories makes it easy to follow the translations and improve language skills. However, the real treasures in this book are discovered slowly, as one peruses the glowing artwork by various Mexican artists in conjunction with the inspiring words that seem to interweave themselves into the pictures. This is a book to sit back and savor during personal quiet time, or to read to your children. The melodic rhythms of both the Spanish and English texts rock the heart and sooth the soul.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Book, June 9, 2001

By 

"jackiebear33" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tree Is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mex (Hardcover)

This was a wonderful book with not only great poems but beautiful illustrations. It is a nice book for anyone who wants to get the feel for Mexican folk writing and art. The poems are simple enough that you can read them without having to know too much Spanish.