by Francisco X. Alarcón (Author), Maya Gonzalez (Illustrator)
Pura Belpré Author Award Honor, Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Américas Book Award, Commended Title, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs
Bilingual English/Spanish. From the Bellybutton of the Moon is renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcón's collection of 22 poems inspired by his touching recollections of childhood summers in Mexico.
With a poet's magical vision, Alarcón takes us back to his childhood when he traveled with his family to Mexico to visit his grandma and other relatives. We travel with him in the family station wagon, across the misty mountain range to the little town of Atoyac. There, in the beloved town of his ancestors, we hear his grandma's stories, sample Auntie Reginalda's tasty breakfasts, learn about the keys to the universe, and take playful dips in the warm sea.
The lighthearted illustrations of Maya Christina Gonzalez perfectly capture the spirit of summer in Alarcón's Mexico where "colors are more colorful, tastes are tastier, and even time seems to slow down."
Author Biography
Francisco Alarcón was 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 was also the author of several poetry collections for adults and textbooks for teaching Spanish. In addition, he directed the Spanish for Native Speakers Program at the University of California. Alarcón passed away in early 2016.
Maya Gonzalez is an author and the illustrator of many award-winning children's books published by Lee & Low. They are also a progressive educator who developed the symbol and theory of the Gender Wheel, a tool to express the dynamic, infinite, and inclusive reality of gender. Gonzalez creates gender-inclusive books and materials that focus on teaching, inspiring, and empowering children and adults to create personal and cultural change in their lives, and provides lectures and workshops to educators, parents, and caregivers. They live with their family in San Francisco, California. genderwheel.com