Title:Author: A Movie in My Pillow: Una Película en me almohada (English and Spanish Edition)
# of Pages: 32
Published by: Children's Book Press; Bilingual Edition
Age Range: 6 and up
This is a wonderful poetry collection by Jorge Argueta, a Salvadoran poet and writer. This is his first collection of poems for children, and it happened to win the America's Book Award. Throughout the book there are many cultural ties to the Salvadorian and hispanic culture throughout the book. This poetry collection is unique because it has the poems in both Spanish and in english. The poems use his unique style and incorporate words from both languages. The poems help describe the culture difference that young Jorgito is experiencing now that he lives in San Francisco instead of El Salvador. This book shows a wonderful father-son relationship as they reminisce about their homeland through poetry. The poems throughout this book are all about Jorgito's dreams that he has at night of the future and of his past homelands. Topics in the poems include war, family, sadness, and love. The pictures really add to the story because they use vibrant colors, specific line details, and every page is filled with authentic art that represents this Salvadoran culture, and glimpses into what life is like in San Francisco. The poems are easy to read, however, may not be relatable to all students. This would be a great book to introduce other cultures. The pages are visually appealing. Many of the poems are written in free verse. There is rhyming and rhythm incorporated into some of the poems. The rhyming would be useful for student's fluency and to help them remember the poems. Spanish vocabulary words are used throughout the English translations, which is exposing students to other languages and expanding their horizon.
Critique:
I really enjoyed this poetry collection. I would use this book if I taught in a majority hispanic classroom or if I had a lot of ESL students. The book bridges the two languages together in a beautiful way. I would use this book to teach poetry through two languages. I could have my ESL students write a poem first in their native language and then translate it to make a page of this book just as the poet Jorge Argueta did.
Possible Lesson and Activity Ideas:
Age Range: 6 and up
This is a wonderful poetry collection by Jorge Argueta, a Salvadoran poet and writer. This is his first collection of poems for children, and it happened to win the America's Book Award. Throughout the book there are many cultural ties to the Salvadorian and hispanic culture throughout the book. This poetry collection is unique because it has the poems in both Spanish and in english. The poems use his unique style and incorporate words from both languages. The poems help describe the culture difference that young Jorgito is experiencing now that he lives in San Francisco instead of El Salvador. This book shows a wonderful father-son relationship as they reminisce about their homeland through poetry. The poems throughout this book are all about Jorgito's dreams that he has at night of the future and of his past homelands. Topics in the poems include war, family, sadness, and love. The pictures really add to the story because they use vibrant colors, specific line details, and every page is filled with authentic art that represents this Salvadoran culture, and glimpses into what life is like in San Francisco. The poems are easy to read, however, may not be relatable to all students. This would be a great book to introduce other cultures. The pages are visually appealing. Many of the poems are written in free verse. There is rhyming and rhythm incorporated into some of the poems. The rhyming would be useful for student's fluency and to help them remember the poems. Spanish vocabulary words are used throughout the English translations, which is exposing students to other languages and expanding their horizon.
Critique:
I really enjoyed this poetry collection. I would use this book if I taught in a majority hispanic classroom or if I had a lot of ESL students. The book bridges the two languages together in a beautiful way. I would use this book to teach poetry through two languages. I could have my ESL students write a poem first in their native language and then translate it to make a page of this book just as the poet Jorge Argueta did.
Possible Lesson and Activity Ideas:
- Use to teach about the hispanic/Salvadoran culture
- Use to teach poetry to ESL Students
- Use poems for a spanish vocabulary lesson
- Have students write about their own home in poetry format
