Brief poems about typical things someone can see in Mexico

In the poetry collection of My Mexico, the reader gets to see what everyday life looks like in Mexico. The poetry book is both in English and Spanish, showing both written languages on every page. The reader gets to see what a house, street, and town looks like in Mexico. Some specific things that are typical of seeing or eating in Mexico are pears, tortillas, iguanas, and dogs. I remember when I went on a trip to Mexico we were able to hold and take pictures with a very large iguana. In the book, children sell them and I wonder what they’re used for. An important holiday to celebrate is the Day of the Dead. I remember learning about this holiday, in which people celebrate their loved ones who are now gone. People often dress up for the occasion and decorate their faces. I also feel that the illustration in this book accurately depicts the life in Mexico. The author of this book previously lived in Mexico while the illustrator is a second-generation Mexican-American. The writer and illustrator could not have been a better pair to work together when it comes to this book. ( )

In My Mexico, there are poems about the everyday life and all the traditions that surround Mexico. Being both in English and Spanish, the poems begin with being set in houses, streets, and towns, and then shift to Downtown Mexico City. Houses are blue, orange, yellow, and green. People rely on selling goods, such as iguanas, pears, and tortillas, to earn their living. Inside houses are bright, sweet flowers and calming fountains. At night, street dogs roam looking for food and howling because they have “no place to go” and “no place to sleep.” The people of Mexico listen to the music of Nahuatl and celebrate the Day of the Dead. They wonder where the Aztecs have gone because there are still ruins and little aspects of them around. Sierra’s illustrations help bring the poems to life with his colorful and detailed pictures of what people do in just one day in Mexico. Illustrations correspond well with the text and help the reader zoom into the scene the poem is being set. In houses, readers will see minimal decorations and little furniture. In the streets, people are selling goods while dogs and children play. During the Day of the Dead, traditional details like sugar skulls, shrines, and photographs are pictured. A great book of poems to show the simplistic lifestyle of those in Mexico and all of their traditions. ( )

This book is a series of short poems about differnt traditions of the Mexican culture.
Learn about a new culture.

1-5 ( )

I enjoyed this book, however was not a huge fan oh Johnston's style of writing. The book was a compilation of poems about mexico, and each page had the poem listed in english and in spanish. It was very interesting and great for teaching children of culture, but again it was not my favorite type of poetry. ( )