New Review: ANIMAL POEMS by Alarcón

I’m a big fan of Francisco X. Alarcón’s work—I love his succint language, in Spanish AND English, and the picture book format for his poetry that includes vivid and colorful mural-like illustrations. His latest is a wonderful addition, particularly for teachers and librarians who often feature ANIMAL poetry in their curricular units. His new book, Animal Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú published by Children’s Book Press, and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez, is a bilingual poetry collection about the flora and fauna of the Iguazú rainforest and national park in South America.

When he read from the collection at this summer’s ALSC Poetry Blast (held in June at the ALA convention) he said the poems were based on his travels to a rainforest in South America where he “interviewed” the animals. Most of the 25 poems are in the persona of the subject, “following the Amerindian tradition… the animals of the Iguazú speak for themselves,” including the toucan, parrot, hummingbird, swift, lizard, mosquito, giant ant, monkey, turtle, and the falls and jungle themselves. Here’s my favorite poem (in Spanish and English) that reflects the very heart of the collection and the rainforest itself.

Jaguareté (Jaguar)
by Francisco X. Alarcón

dicen que ahora
estoy casi extinto
por este parque

pero la gente
que dice esto
no sabe

que al oler
las orquídeas
en los árboles

están percibiendo
la fragancia
de mis fauces

que al oír
el retumbo
de los saltos

están escuchando
el gran rugido
de mis ancestros

que al observar
las constelanciones
del firmamento

están mirando
las motas de estrellas
marcadas en mi piel

que yo soy
y siempre seré
el indomable

espíritu silvestre
vivo de esta
jungla

p. 18

Jaguareté (Jaguar)
by Francisco X. Alarcón

some say
I’m now almost
extinct in this park

but the people
who say this
don’t know

that by smelling
the orchids
in the trees

they’re sensing
the fragrance
of my chops

that by hearing
the rumbling
of the waterfalls

they’re listening
to my ancestors’
great roar

that by observing
the constellations
of the night sky

they’re gazing
at the star spots
on my fur

that I am and
always will be
the wild

untamed
living spirit
of this jungle

p. 19

Alarcón, Francisco X. 2008. Animals Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.

Animal Poems is illustrated with mixed media art by Maya Christina Gonzalez, a 2008 Pura Belpré illustrator honor winner, in BOLD, vivid colors of thick deep green, turquoise and orange on thick pages of 100% recycled paper. It also includes a brief introduction and concluding information section. And for more information on Alarcón and his work, allow me to plug my book, Poetry People.

For more Poetry Friday connections, go to Biblio File.

Picture credit: www.deepdiscount.com