Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
George Ancona
Colorín Colorado recommends the following books by George Ancona.
José lives in a diverse neighborhood where he's just as likely to hear Spanish, English, or Chinese. The appealing photographs in this book document José's life at home, at school, and on the streets of his barrio in San Francisco, a city that is a vibrant mosaic of different cultures. (Available in a Spanish edition and in an English edition with a Spanish glossary).
A trip to Brazil inspired this look at a unique sport called "capoeira." The result is a compelling journey into capoeira's history and its popularity around the world. The book begins with students at an academy in Oakland, California. Well-placed and -paced, full-color photographs chronicle this amazing activity.
Share the five days of Carnaval revelry — beginning with the lengthy preparations in Olinda, a northeastern Brazilian city. The book features stunning photographs and crisp text, handsomely formatted.
Visit Guadalajara, Mexico and live for a day in the life of a Mexican horseman during the celebration known as el día del charro. In this photo-essay, Ancona discusses the training necessary to become a charro or a charra.
Life on a cattle farm is both a grind and a thrill. Share both with the Eby family on their working ranch in New Mexico as they share the commotion of spring cattle roundup where everyone — including the kids — works diligently.
Meet kids in Cuba as they work, play, and go to school. They live in cities and in the country, similar to other children around the world. A straightforward text is expanded by the crisp, varied photographs.
Caren and her family prepare for the festival of San Juan de Dios in Tultepec, a Mexican town noted for its fireworks. Full color photographs and lively text capture many aspects of this exciting tradition.
Full color photographs and informative text introduce four Hispanic holidays that are celebrated in the United States, including the Day of the Dead and Las Posadas. Each celebration is photographed in a different U.S. city.
Ancona's thoughtful color photographs capture the spirit, movement, and the form of basic finger spelling used by the deaf (and by hearing children) as a group of kids go on an adventure to the zoo.
George Ancona's colorful photographs capture the spirit, movement, and form of basic finger spelling used by the deaf and often learned by hearing children as well.
Readers learn of Mexican migrant workers' difficult lives in this photo-documentary. Despite backbreaking labor in poor conditions, the workers take pride in what they do and struggle to help their families get ahead.
Visit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula to meet several generations of Mayan Indians, learn a bit about their history, culture, and contemporary life in this riveting portrait in pictures and words.
Ancona takes a look at Latino and Hispanic murals within the United States in this fascinating photo-essay. The photos vary between broad shots, close-ups that reveal details, and images of a variety of people either creating or viewing the paintings.
Fiestas often involve puppets, masks, and piñatas. Meet Tio Rico, the elderly piñata maker in a Mexican town, whose artful creations are shown from start to finish in this handsomely photographed book. The text is presented in both Spanish and English.
What do the colors, sights, and spectacle of a powwow mean to a present-day boy? A contemporary powwow transforms Anthony Standing Rock from a modern kid in a t-shirt to one with a rich, shared heritage and tradition at this Crow gathering in Montana.
Take a tour through four national aquariums and learn how they are set up, the educational displays they offer, and what sort of things a visitor will see.
Mexico's culture, history, and spirit are revealed through The Foods, The Fiestas, The Folk Arts, The Past, and The People. Each volume — whether focusing on food or art, ancient beginnings, or current conflicts — captures the many flavors and traditions of the land and its people.
Books illustrated by George Ancona
This fictionalized story tells of a slave who lived and worked in Colonial Williamsburg. The straightforward text and dramatic photographs bring the history of the time to life.
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