Animal Poems of the Iguazú/Animalario del Iguazú.

Reviewed by Ann Welton, Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, Tacoma, WA -- Críticas, 5/15/2008

Alarcón, Francisco X.
illus. by Maya Christina González. U.S.: Children’s Book Press. 2008. unpaged. ISBN 978-0-89239-225-4. $16.95.

Gr 3-6–Located in northeastern Argentina, the Iguazú Falls is a natural wonder amid a protected stretch of subtropical rainforest. Yet, despite such consideration, the spreading deforestation is impacting the region. With the hope of raising readers’ awareness and encouraging them to take action to protect the rainforests, Alarcón’s tribute gives voice to 18 different animals, the land itself, and the people who vacation there. Ranging from a page to a few well-chosen lines, the poems express hope, longing, and give a unique perspective on life as a continuum, with each species filling a small niche. The artwork is lush, both in terms of palette and use of form, with the animals painted in great detail against a cut-paper background. The deep, vibrant, and arresting colors convey the great diversity and vivacity of rainforest life. The melding of visual and verbal art is masterful. Like Alarcón’s Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para soñar juntos (Lee & Low, 2005) and Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve (Children’s Book Press, 2001), the language and humor have indelible appeal in both English and Spanish. An excellent tool for patterning student poetry, this is also excellent literature.

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