Product Description

This gathering of poems and stories, told in both the original Spanish and translated English, transcends borders as it invites readers into a shared world of ideas, visions and dreams. Sixty-four great Mexican writers and painters are collected here, including Rosario Castellanos, Alberta Blanco, Octavio Paz, and Julio Galan.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #652441 in Books
• Published on: 1998-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

From Publishers Weekly
English translations appear alongside the Spanish poems and tales that explore everything from a table set for supper to a peach tree to a legend of rabbit's long ears. The selections include writings by Rosario Castellanos, Jose Juan Tablada, Octavio Paz and many others. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up?A most enticing bilingual anthology that unfolds like a tapestry of images, languages, rhythms, and musicalities from all regions of Mexico. In the poem "Lemon Tree," from which the title is derived, Jennifer Clement urges readers to, "Remember,/the tree is older than you are/and you might find stories/in its branches." Each page holds the promise of a small jewel, poems that transform ordinary experience into extraordinary insight. There are several pieces written in Tzotzil, and one in Tzeltal, two of the languages of the Maya. Several traditional and modern folktales also appear, adding to the cosmogony and strengthening the roots of the tree. The illustrations, which appear every few pages as illuminations, employ a variety of styles and mediums, all reproduced in full color. Often magical and sometimes playful, the artwork completes the experience of being welcomed into a mysteriously friendly world in which there is much to be discovered and shared. Thorough endnotes on the contributors, translators, and acknowledgements as well as a list of titles in English and Spanish complete this remarkable volume that holds something for everyone.?Graciela Italiano, Weber State University, Ogden, UT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 6^-12. Nye, who edited the fine YA world anthology This Same Sky (1992), has once again gathered literature in translation from a host of voices seldom heard in English. These Mexican poems and traditional stories in the original Spanish appear side by side with excellent English translations. The spacious, large-size volume includes magnificent, richly colored paintings by contemporary Mexican artists. The art is never a literal interpretation of the words; it expresses the magic realism of many of the verbal images. There's an elusive quality to the writing, whether it's by the famous (such as Octavio Paz) or by the relatively unknown. The focus is on the universals of nature and rural life rather than on urban or popular culture. This is dreamy, lyrical writing with sudden leaps from the real to the magical. Some of the poetry isn't easy, but browsers in this lovely volume will find pieces to startle them out of the mundane, as when Erika Ramirez Diez writes: "I will never be able to know the sea / Every time it arrives / it leaves." Nye includes notes on the poets, painters, and translators and on the folklore. Hazel Rochman

Customer Reviews

Beautiful Words and Inspiring Art!
Being a beginning self-taught student in Spanish with a special interest in Mexican Spanish by way of my residency in Texas, I took a chance on purchasing this bilingual book and was more than delighted by what I found inside. The convenient side-by-side text of the poems and short stories makes it easy to follow the translations and improve language skills. However, the real treasures in this book are discovered slowly, as one peruses the glowing artwork by various Mexican artists in conjunction with the inspiring words that seem to interweave themselves into the pictures. This is a book to sit back and savor during personal quiet time, or to read to your children. The melodic rhythms of both the Spanish and English texts rock the heart and soothe the soul.

The Tree is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Po
This book may turn out to be my all-time favorite book of bilingual poetry. The frosting on the cake, so to speak, turns out to be the art work accompanying the poetry. Each time I read one of the poems I like it better than the last time. And these are carefully selected, excellent quality poems: with writers such as Octavio Paz, Alberto Blanco, Rosario Castellanos (and many more) how could they not be terrific? A lasting gift for any occasion, especially for someone interested in bilingual stories from Mexico.

Beautiful Book
This is a wonderful book . The pictures work the imagination and the poems are beautiful. The dual language format will intrigue young readers and just may get them interested in a 'different' language. In addition this will expose youngsters to some of Mexico's rich culture. I know several college professors who have adopted this book to use in their Children's Literature and reading courses. Truth be told, I liked it so much I bought it for myself several years ago and have been 'advertising' it ever since.