Another excellent review of Yes! We Are Latinos, this one from the radio program Childrens Bookshelf Yes! We are Latinos wcmu.org/radio/childrensBookshelf/_images/bookCovers/_latinos.pngOctober 2-4, 2013 Yes! We are Latinos, written by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, is a beautiful collection of narrative poems that provide insight into the multitude of cultures that is Latino/Latina. This extraordinary collection provides readers with both a story and the historical foundations of the various cultures and is a reminder of the struggles faced by Latino/Latina Americans. Ada and Campoy create a series of powerful images carefully balanced between the poetic narratives expressed and the backdrop of the Latino/Latina American experiences past and present. They repeatedly use the stories of children, the images of their lives and families to express the sense of hope that is so much a part of this human experience. Each narrative emphasizes a culture that in turn, becomes an inspirational image for the reader. “My name is Juanita. I am Mexican. I live in New York. I am Latina.” “My name is Monica. I am from El Salvador. I live in Houston. I am Texan. I am Latina.” “My name is Jose Miguel—not Joe, not Mike. I am Cuban and Nicaraguan. I live in Tampa, Florida. I am Latino.” “My name is Santiago. I am Dominican. I live in Detroit. I am Latino.” Whether Sephardic, Zapotec, Panamanian, Venezuelan, Spanish, Guatemalan, or Peruvian, the children of these cultures live in the US and are Latino and Latina. Their ancestral roots may be from one culture or many, but they all embrace the richness of their Latino/Latina heritages and it is that richness that is expressed in this collection of the poetic narratives. Ada and Compoy state that there are more than fifty million people in the United States who consider themselves Latino or Latina. They come from diverse backgrounds, mixed origins, and live in both urban and rural settings in every state. While the authors suggest that their twelve stories represent just a sampling of the rich heritage of Latino/Latina Americans, they present readers with an expansive introduction to the cultures and challenge readers to learn more. Yes! We are Latinos, written by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy is a beautiful collection of narrative poetry that is complemented by the hand-cut Rubylith illustrations of David Diaz. It is an excellent resource for Hispanic Heritage month and is appropriate for ages 9 and up. This is Pamela Gates for the Children’s Bookshelf. Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. Yes! We are Latinos. Illustrated by David Diaz. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2013.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 15:05:05 +0000