Canción de todos los niños del mundo
Canción de todos los niños del mundo
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Striking photographs of children around the world are depicted to highlight the diversity of their environment as well as show the universal similarities of childhood.
One of Alma Flor Ada’s most well known poems, “Canción de todos los niños del mundo,” first appeared in the book A la sombra de un ala. When it was included in the Hagamos caminos series, Suni Paz set it to music. It can be found now in El son del sol, number 10 of the collection Música amiga.
When Houghton Mifflin decided to turn the song into a book, they selected excellent photographs that highlight what children in other parts of the world do in contrast with what children do in the United States. The book beautifully carries the poem’s message:
Canción de todos los niños
Alma Flor Ada
Cuando aquí es de noche
para ti amanece.
Estamos muy lejos
¿no te lo parece?
Cuando aquí es verano
allí usan abrigo.
Si estamos tan lejos,
¿seremos amigos?
Yo no hablo tu idioma
tú no hablas el mío.
Pero tú te ríes,
cuando yo me río.
Estudias, estudio,
aprendo y aprendes.
Sueñas y yo sueño.
Sé que me comprendes.
Vivimos muy lejos.
No estamos cercanos.
Pero yo te digo
que somos hermanos.
Song of all children of the World
Alma Flor Ada
When it is nighttime here
the day breaks for you
We are very far away,
don’t you think so?
When it’s summer here
you are wearing a coat.
If we are so far away,
can we possibly be friends?
I don’t speak your language
and you do not speak mine.
But you laugh
when I laugh.
You study, I study,
I learn and you learn.
You dream and I dream.
I know you understand me.
We live very far away.
we are not close by.
But I assure you
we are brothers, you and I.
CASSETTE AND CD DESCRIPTION
Suni Paz has created engaging music for this poem. Suni makes it very easy for everyone to sing along; children can say all the words or simply do the chorus.
The cassette titled Canción de todos los niños also contains a few complementary songs. In CD format “Canción de todos los niños” is one of the 12 songs contained in El son del sol, number 10 of the collection Música amiga.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This poem is very important to me, because I firmly believe that all human beings are indeed brothers. To have Suni Paz create such wonderful music for this song has been an extraordinary gift and the occasions where I have been present as she sang it with audiences, or as children sang it for me, have been moments of great joy in my life.
That some enlightened editor at Houghton Mifflin could see that this poem could be transformed into a book, without me knowing anything about it, was an incomparable surprise. It pleases me that both the music and the photos can enhance the message and contribute to make it accessible to children.
READERS’ RESPONSES
If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book or CD, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.
