A Perfect Season for Dreaming
Un tiempo perfecto para soñar
Author Benjamin Alire Sáenz Illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia ISBN 9781933693620 Binding Trade Paper Publisher Lee & Low Books Publication Date August 31, 2022 Size 229 x 292 mmSeventy—eight year—old Octavio Rivera is a beautiful dreamer. And lately he has been visited by some very interesting dreams——dreams about piñatas that spill their treasures before him, revealing kissing turtles, winged pigs, hitchhiking armadillos, and many more fantastic things! He longs to tell someone about his dreams, but who else in his life would understand their full beauty? And then he remembers his young granddaughter Regina, because she too appreciates beautiful and fantastic things. Once he tells her, his heart at rest, Octavio prepares for his siesta, hoping to be blessed with one long, last, lovely dream.
With gorgeous folk art—inspired illustrations and the humor and depth of all Benjamin Alire Sáenz's work, A Perfect Season for Dreaming unfolds the sweet possibilities in relationships between the very old and the very young.
Octavio Rivera, de setenta y ocho años, es un bello soñador. Y últimamente ha sido visitado por algunos sueños muy interesantes: sueños sobre piñatas que derraman sus tesoros ante él, revelando tortugas besándose, cerdos alados, armadillos pidiendo aventones a un festival literario, ¡y muchas más cosas fantásticas! Anhela contarle a alguien sobre sus sueños, pero ¿quién más en su vida entendería toda su belleza? Y luego recuerda a su joven nieta Regina, porque ella también aprecia las cosas bellas y fantásticas. Una vez que él le dice, con el corazón en paz, Octavio se prepara para su siesta, con la esperanza de ser bendecido con un largo, último y hermoso sueño.
Con magníficas ilustraciones inspiradas en el arte popular y el humor y la profundidad de toda la obra de Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Un tiempo perfecto para soñar despliega las dulces posibilidades en las relaciones entre los muy viejos y los muy jóvenes.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz was born in 1954 in Old Picacho, a small farming village outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico, forty—two miles north of the U.S. / Mexico border. He was the fourth of seven children and was brought up in a traditional Mexican—American Catholic family. He entered the seminary in 1972, a decision that was as much political as it was religious. After concluding his theological studies at the University of Louvain, he was ordained a Catholic priest. Three and a half years later, he left the priesthood. At the age of 30, he entered the University of Texas at El Paso. He later received a fellowship at the University of Iowa. In 1988, he received a Wallace E. Stegner Fellowship in poetry from Stanford University. In 1993, he returned to the border to teach in the bilingual MFA program at UTEP.
Sáenz is the author of a previous book of poetry, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award. Cinco Puntos published two of his other books of poetry called Elegies in Blue and the now out of print, Dark and Perfect Angels. His most recent book of poetry, The Book of What Remains, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2010. He is the author of numerous novels, books for children and young adults as well as a previous collection of short stories. His award winning young adult novels are Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, and Last Night I Sang to the Monster. His adult novels include Carry Me Like Water, The House of Forgetting, In Perfect Light, and Names on a Map.
Esau Andrade Valencia comes from a family of Mexican folk artists. His paintings are included in the collection of the Museum of Latin American Art as well as in the Downey Museum of Art in California. His books for Cinco Puntos Press include A Perfect Season for Dreaming / Un tiempo perfecto para soñar and Don't Say a Word, Mamá / No digas nada, Mamá.
About This Title
ISBN
Paperback: 9781933693620
Awards
Paterson Prize for Books for Young PeopleThe Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College
Guided Reading:
P
Spanish Guided Reading:
O
Interest Level:
Grades 2 — 8
Reading Level:
Grades 3 — 4
Themes
Animals, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Cultural Diversity, Diversity, Dreams & Aspirations, Dual Language, Empathy/Compassion, Environment/Nature, Families, Fiction, Grandparents, Imagination, Kindness/Caring, Latino/Hispanic/Mexican Interest, Mexico, Spanish, Texas
"While a counting book in concept, Sáenz's text is layered with multiple meanings … Young readers will enjoy its structure, numbers and playful dreams, while more sophisticated readers - and even adults - will find reasons to return to it again and again." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Valencia gives these visions an odd and wonderful dignity…Children who require stories with defined contours may find the flood of images off—putting; others will respond to Sáenz's elemental warmth and rhythmic storytelling." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review
"Told with poetic text and colorful, full—page acrylic illustrations filled with surreal imagery, this is an attractive bilingual title. Particularly moving is the special connection between the old man and the child. Recommended for all libraries and bookstores." - Criticas
"The traditional artwork is a fitting complement to Saenz' folktale—like prose. Just like Regina, young readers will marvel at the beauty, richness, and unpredictable qualities of Octavio's dreams. Readers of all ages will appreciate the sincere affection between grandfather and grandchild in this intergenerational story. A perfect book for sharing aloud." - ForeWord Magazine
"This is a wonderful book for people of all ages; both parents and children will enjoy the creative story and beautiful illustrations." - Oneota Reading Journal
"A pleasant read that leaves the reader feeling as if they have just woken from their own peaceful afternoon slumber." - El Paso Scene