Poems to Dream Together / Poemas para sonar juntos

author: Francisco X. Alarcón

illustrator: Paula Barragán

Lee & Low, 2005

grades 2-5

Mexican American

cierra los ojos           
       close your eyes

y ahora prepárate
       and now get ready

para saltar a un sueño
       to hop on a dream

In this collection of 17 short, gentle bilingual poems, Alarcón celebrates hard-working parents, the blessed hands of farm workers, daydreaming children, taking care of the home and the family garden, the great dream of César Chávez, the ultimate relationship of all things, and dreaming together of a better world.

Barragán’s flat, brightly colored, mixed media artwork resembles paper cutouts or silkscreens, but if one looks closer, the intricacies of each design become apparent. The poems and art together are totally engaging and varied in placement: sometimes the Spanish version is above the English, sometimes the English is above the Spanish, sometimes the two are side by side, sometimes they’re on facing pages. Highly recommended.

—Beverly Slapin
(published 4/7/13)