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In these magical poems, Herrera writes in both English and Spanish, his energetic and inspired work filled with the smells and sounds of family, culture and the joys of childhood:
”Laughing out loud, I fly, toward the good things,
to catch Mama Lucha on the sidewalk, after
school, waiting for the green-striped bus,
on the side of the neighborhood store, next to almonds…”
(Laughing Out Loud, I Fly)
On opposite pages, Spanish on one side, English on the other, Herrera creates magic, poems filled with joy and laughter, the craziness of a child’s world, two cultures, two homes. Dancing with sounds and the rhythms of language, the words convey vibrant images:
“Chico, the smallest, just like this, Chico
with circus swing arms, my papi calls me
Chiquin, Don Memin, the Mayor of Nueva York
in my long coast of marimbas and Puerto Rico…”
(Chico, the Smallest, Just Like This, Chico)
This work invites participation, a blissful combination of cultures, gleeful and enthusiastic as the food and people who come to life in these poems:
“In Mama’s Mexican clay bowl, an onion is born
a cilantro skyscraper and a tiny sardine eye
or is it a mad reddish chicken or Socrates my cat
the only one
that scratches stoves…”
(In Mama’s Mexican Clay Bowl, An Onion Is Born)
Karen Barbour’s stylish artwork complements the poems, pages begging to be read aloud in Spanish or English, the sounds, the scents, the language of food that evokes memories, a book that celebrates life, love and a sense of place.
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Luan Gaines/2006 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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Laughing Out Loud, I Fly: Poems in English & Spanish