Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English: Bilingual Spanish-English

Right away, one can see that this is much more than your run-of-the-mill alphabet books. Two extremely talented people, author Alma Flor Ada and Simon Silva, collaborate on 28 short poems that celebrate the pride of the Latino familes that work the fields as migrant farmworkers. In fact, this book is dedicated to the memory of Cesar Chavez. Alma Flor Ada has written extensively on what it is like to be a Latina immigrant in such books as "Me Llamo Isabel," and Simon Silva has illustrated such like-themed books as "La Mariposa" and "El Campo." The poems tell of the harvest, from Arboles (trees) to Zanahoria (carrot), with C and Ch telling the story of Cesar Chavez. The poems are both in English and Spanish; in both languages, the verse is rendered with great sensitivity. The beautiful illustrations convey not only the hard work of the fields, but also beauty and hope, not to mention a strong and serene sense of family. The people give thanks to the wind, sky, rain, sun, field, flower, and Earth for all the delicious fruits, while extoling honor, both in hard work and caring in the family. I can think of few other books that tell of these things, which most people take for granted, more beautifully.

This brilliantly illustrated bilingual book is a delightful adventure into the world of language and art, "simple words and sun-drenched paintings", as Alma Flor Ada and Simon Silva take young readers into orchards and fields, alongside the people who harvest the bounty of nature, dedicated to the living memory of Cesar Chavez: "Your example and your words sprout anew in the field rows as seedlings of quiet hope." The illustrated alphabet is Spanish, text in both Spanish and English: arboles (trees) "the companions of my childhood"; duraznos (peaches) "like a gentle caress in the palm of my hand"; tomates (tomatoes) "red tomato in the kitchen, in the little tacos my godmother loves to make"; zanahoria (carrot) "The carrot hides beneath the earth. After all, she knows the sun's fiery color by heart." Nothing less than a celebration of a shared heritage of working the land and the language of nature's bounty, the bilingual text is rendered with an eye to the beauty of words and the images wrought from the earth's palette, a rich history of the cycle of growth and those who labor to carry their fruits from field to kitchen, from the hands that toil upon the land to those that prepare the rich foods that grace the tables of grateful families. Saturated with vivid color and the dignity of hard work, Gathering the Sun is nothing less than brilliant, a reflection of the author and illustrator's appreciation for all aspects of growth, from field to heart to spirit, acknowledging "honor and pride, family and friends, history and heritage, and... the bounty of the harvest." Luan Gaines/2006.

This is a must have for any chicano especially with kids. It is a magnificant piece of art that allows us to talk to our kids and others about our latino heritage in the agricultural fields of America. I bought this book because I am a fan of Simon Silva's art work and this book is like having a selection of his prints to display on the coffee table instead of the wall. It is a great conversational piece as art or history, as a tool to teach our personal heritage or as an educational piece for those of different ethnic backgrounds, and last but not least it is great for young and old. I love it!

This book is not only a wonderful cultural asset it is very pleaseing to the eyes and the spirit. Children will learn valuable knowledge about the cultures the surround us and not even know they are leaning, beacause of all the beautiful drawings. You will read this again and again. I often use just one page in storytime and it sparks a whole hour of interest.

I found this book to be breath taking in color and content. My childhood came rushing back and many memories. The symbolism in portraying Cesar Chavez and the earth as one was well done. The colors portrayed the warmth of the content. Excellent!