From the Bellybutton of the Moon: And Other Summer Poems / Del Ombligo de la Luna: Y Otros Poemas de Verano (The Magical Cycle of Seasons Series)

About the Author:

Francisco is a renowned poet and educator and a three-time winner of the Pura Belpré Author Award Honor for his bilingual Magical 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. Alarcón is also the author of several poetry collections for adults and textbooks for teaching Spanish. He lives in Davis, California, where he teaches and directs the Spanish for Native Speakers Program at the University of California.

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With a poet's magical vision, Francisco X. Alarcón takes young readers back to his childhood when he traveled with his family to Mexico to visit his grandmother and other relatives. Readers ride with him in the family station wagon across the misty mountain range to the little town of Atoyac, the beloved town of his ancestors. There he listens his grandma's colorful stories, samples Auntie Reginalda's tasty breakfasts, learns about the keys to the universe, and take playful dips in the warm sea.

Maya Christina Gonzalez's lighthearted illustrations perfectly capture the spirit of a summer in Alarcón's Mexico where "colors are more colorful, tastes are tastier, and even time seems to slow down."