Gathering the Sun (Alphabet in Span/Eng)

Title:  Gathering the Sun (An Alphabet in Spanish and English)

Author:  Alma Flor Ada; English translation by Rosa Zubizarreta

Illustrations by:  Simon Silva

Harper Collins Publishers (1997)

This book is a mosaic of Spanish words, one for each letter of the alphabet.  The words and their descriptions are written in both Spanish and English.  Most words such as peaches, carrots and island would be familiar to children of all cultures but some such as Cesar Chavez might be something new to some.  The main difference for some reading this book is that the words are alphabetized by their Spanish translation.  For example, the word carrot is not under C but under Z for zanahoria.  The descriptions for each word were done in such a way as to paint a picture of how it fit into their culture.

The language and illustrations utilized in this book are very appropriate for elementary school age children.  The text is large and easy to read.  The language used is easily understandable for even young readers.  The illustrations are colorful and depict scenes familiar to the Hispanic culture.

This book is an accurate depiction of the Hispanic culture.  It was void of any negative stereotypes.  Since many of the illustrations and words reflected the life of a migrant farm worker, I felt that it showed these in a positive light.  The descriptions and drawings showed what was good about that lifestyle rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of being a migrant worker.

For teachers of very young children it might be nice to introduce some of the words to the class through both languages so they develop an appreciation for languages and diverse culture.

Reviewer:  Carol L. DeMuth