Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems: Jitomates Risuenos: Jitomates Risuenos/ Y Otros Poemas de Primavera (The Magical Cycle of the Seasons Series) - Softcover

Tomatoes laugh, chiles explode, and tortillas applaud the sun! With joy and tenderness, delight and sadness, Alcarcon'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 grandma, four vivacious children, and playful pets who tease and delight. Follow them from page to page as they bring each poem to colorful life. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems is a verbal and visual treat, giving us twenty opportunities to see everything for the first time.

FRANCISCO X. ALARCON was a renowned poet and educator and a three-time winner of a Pura Belpre Author Award Honor for his bilingual Cycle of the Seasons series of poetry for children. His many other honors include the American Book Award, the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, the Chicano Literary Prize, and finalist for state poet laureate of California. Alarcon was also the author of several poetry collections for adults and textbooks for teaching Spanish. He passed away in January 2016. MAYA CHRISTINA GONZALEZ is an acclaimed fine artist, educator, and illustrator of children's books, and collaborator with Alarcon on most of his children's poetry books. Gonzalez's numerous books featuring Latino characters have received recognition from the Pura Belpre Award, Americas Award, Notable Books for a Global Society, International Latino Books Awards, and more. Shelives in San Francisco, California, with her two daughters and her husband.