Animal Poems of the Iguazú (Science)

Alarcón, Francisco X. Animal Poems of the Iguazú. Ill. by Maya C. Gonzalez. San Francisco,
California: Childrens Book Press, 2008. ISBN 9780892392254

Francisco Alarcón paints beautiful images of the Iguazú waterfalls through his masterful use of language in this collection of bilingual poems. In “Red Earth” the reader’s senses are fully engaged as the earth is compared to “ground/ dried chiles/ and peppers/ like ground/ cinnamon/ and chocolate powder” and the imagination is stretched in “Guarani Myth” as waterfalls give birth to clouds. Readers will become fully engaged as they learn about the unique animal life, history, and landforms of the rainforest found between the countries of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. The entire book has been written by the author in both Spanish and English, with the addition of the occasional Guarani word that is native to Iguazú. Bold, bright illustrations fill up each page with their mixture of cut paper and paintings. The occasional concrete poem adds to the visual appeal of the book. The fun loving spirit of the book is sure to engage readers and encourage appreciation of one of the world’s natural wonders.

Jaguarete
(Jaguar)

some say
I’m now almost
extinct in this park

but the people
who say this
don’t know

that by smelling
the orchids
in the trees

they’re sensing
the fragrance
of my chops

that by hearing
the rumbling
of the waterfalls

they’re listening
to my ancestors’
great roar

that by observing
the constellations
of the night sky
they’re gazing
at the star spots
on my fur

that I am and
always will be
the wild

untamed
living spirit
of this jungle

Have students close their eyes as you read this poem slowly without revealing the title. Read it a second time and have students discuss their observations. Ask students what animal they think the poem is talking about. Write down predictions and then ask students to come to the board and underline words and phrases that justify their predictions. Allow students to eliminate predictions as more attention is given to key phrases like “star spots” and “great roar”. After the class has chosen their top three animal predictions, reveal the poem’s title.

For an extension activity have students create their own poem using “Jaguarete” as a template. The titles of their poems will be their own name. An example poem might be called “John” and begin with “some say/ I’m growing to be/ just like my father/ but the people/ who say this/ don’t know”. Students will have fun writing about the differences between how other people perceive them and they perceive themselves.