4 poemas de Lorca y un viaje a Nueva York. (Four Poems by Lorca and A Trip to New York)

Reviewed by Ann Welton, Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, Tacoma, WA -- Críticas, 2/1/2008

Lorca, F. Garcia.
illus. by José Aguilar. Spain: versos y trazos. 2007. unpaged. ISBN 978-84-934160-3-4. $23.95.
Gr 5-7–

REVIEWED WITH:
Neruda, Pablo.
4 poemas de Pablo Neruda y un amanecer en la isla
Four Poems by Pablo Neruda and Dawn on the Island
illus. by José Aguilar. Spain: versos y trazos. 2007. unpaged. ISBN 978-84-934160-8-9. $23.95.
Gr 9-Up–

4 poemas de Gloria Fuertes y una calabaza vestida de luna.
(Four Poems by Gloria Fuertes and A Pumpkin Dressed as the Moon)
Fuertes, Gloria.
illus. by José Aguilar. Spain: versos y trazos. 2007. unpaged. ISBN 978-84-934160-9-6. $23.95.
Gr 3-6–

The concept behind this series, now in its second edition, is intriguing. Aguilar apparently wants to create a picture of the poets as a whole, thus giving their work a context. Each book begins with a biographical sketch that highlights the main points of the subject’s life and gives a uniformly soft focus to his or her death: the poet, leaves forever, disappears into the night, or begins his ultimate voyage.Though brief, these biographical sections give insight into the subjects’ artistic impulses and serve to secure them in a specific time and place. The well-chosen verses give a strong sense of the artist’s voice, and the fictional prose that ends each volume tries to capture the muse that inspired each poet. Thus, a little, tad disconsolate fairy appears to Fuertes, the spirit of Walt Whitman walks with Lorca in New York City, and a mermaid appears to Neruda at his home on Isla Negra. The illustrations are fairly well-executed cartoons, varying somewhat in style from book to book. For example, the watercolors in Neruda have a softer focus and a more adult look than those in the other volumes, which is certainly in keeping with the content. These books could be used as instructional tools if it weren’t for their oversized picture-book format that appears to be aimed at younger readers. The complexity of Lorca’s language and the subject matter of Neruda’s poems (love) make these two titles’ age range ramp up. However, older readers would not be attracted to books that are so juvenile in appearance. Literate families might well use these at home to introduce young children to excellent poetry.