title: Family Poems for Every Day of the Week: Poemas Familiares Para Cada Dia de la Semana (English and Spanish Edition)
author: Francisco X. Alarcn
description: This poetry collection from Chicano poet Alarcn, who died in 2016, includes three or four poems for each day of the week, written in the voice of a boy who reflects on traditions, special gatherings, and time spent with family. An opening note and several verses highlight the mythological origins behind the naming of the days (&#34;Venus and Frigg/ make every Friday/ a Valentine s Day&#34;). The contemplative poems touch on recognizable events in children s lives (irritating Monday mornings, endless Wednesdays) and moments of joy and melancholy: &#34;maybe there is another kid/ looking right now at Mars/ up in the night sky/ feeling just as I do-- / like a tiny punctuation dot/ alone amid so much dark.&#34; Gonzalez s radiant illustrations (inspired by Mexican indigenous crafts, she notes) bring a sense of cosmic oneness to the pages, connecting the boy to his family, community, and the ever-spinning planet. --Starred review, <i>Publishers Weekly</i><br /><br />Alarcn, who died in 2016, known in the children s literature world for his bilingual poetry books, here celebrates the days of the week and the closeness of the family. A young boy shows readers, day by day, what each one looks like to him. Sunday, for instance, is spent with his grandparents, family, and friends; Monday is work day, and the boy worries about his parents, who have to rise at dawn. Happy Friday is a time to get ready to the weekend. Although much of the narrative poetry talks about everyday events, important concerns are tucked into the story. For instance, on &#34;the fourth Thursday of November,&#34; he recalls indigenous peoples. The text, in both Spanish and English, is heightened by Gonzalez s buoyant artwork. With psychedelic colors and shapes, the pictures pop off the pages. Each day is introduced with information about the ancient gods who gave them their names, and though this is explained in an introduction, young readers may not understand the relevancy. They will, however, enjoy the peek into the narrator s world and the lively tangents, in words and art, that follow. --<i>Booklist</i>
zlib_text: TO	MY	MOM,	FERNANDA,
  MY	DAD,	ALEXANDRE,
  AND	MY	SISTER,	IRENE.
  DEDICATED	TO	THE
  MEMORY	OF	MY	UNCLE
  TIO	ANTONIO.
  
  POEMAS	DA	NOSSA	ALDEIA
  FERREIRÓS	22-2-77
  BELO	LARGO	DA	REPÚBLICA
  O	TEU	NOME	E	UM	LUARÃO
  FOI	DAQUI	QUE	CRESCEU
  LINDO	FERREIRÓS	DO	DÃO
  FERREIRÓS	QUANDO	NASCEU
  JA	COM	VONTADE	DE	TRABALHAR
  FAZIA	UMAS	ENXADAS
  PARA	A	TERRA	DESBRAVAR
  FOI	BAPTIZADO	DE	FERREIRÓS
  E	LOGO	COBERTO	DE	GLÓRIAS
  FEZ	A	FESTA	DOS	MIL	ANOS
  ESTA	GRAVADO	NA	HISTÓRIA
  POEM	BY	MY	GRANDFATHER	HARANHO,	WRITTEN	TO
  CELEBRATE	THE	HISTORY	OF	OUR	FAMILY’S	VILLAGE.
  
  TABLE	OF
  CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION
  CHAPTER	1
  SALT	COD:	BACALHAU
  CHAPTER	2
  THE	SEA:	SHELLFISH	AND	FISH
  CHAPTER	3
  PORK:	FRESH	AND	CURED
  CHAPTER	4
  POULTRY:	DUCK,	CHICKEN,	AND	GAME
  CHAPTER	5
  MEAT:	BEEF,	VENISON,	LAMB,	AND	GOAT
  CHAPTER	6
  SALADS,	SOUPS,	AND	STEWS
  CHAPTER	7
  SIDE	DISHES:	VEGETABLES	AND	GRAINS
  CHAPTER	8
  DESSERTS
  CHAPTER	9
  BUILDING	BLOCKS:	STOCKS,	SAUCES,	OILS,	AND	SEASONINGS
  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  INDEX	OF	SEARCHABLE	TERMS
  
  INTRODUCTION
  Aldea,	the	name	of	my	Portugu