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Yes! We Are Latinos

Poems and Prose About the Latino Experience

Author Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy
Illustrated by David Diaz
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Paperback
$9.95 US
Charlesbridge
7.38"W x 9"H x 0.36"D   | 9 oz | 50 per carton
On sale Mar 01, 2016 | 96 Pages | 978-1-58089-549-1
Age 10 and up | Grade 5 & Up
Reading Level: Lexile 1050L | Fountas & Pinnell X
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
Juanita lives in New York and is Mexican. Felipe lives in Chicago and is Panamanian, Venezuelan, and black. Michiko lives in Los Angeles and is Peruvian and Japanese. Each of them is Latino.

Thirteen young Latinos and Latinas living in America are introduced in this book celebrating the rich diversity of the Latino and Latina experience in the United States. Free-verse fictional narratives from the perspective of each youth provide specific stories and circumstances for the reader to better understand the Latino people’s quest for identity. Each profile is followed by nonfiction prose that further clarifies the character’s background and history, touching upon important events in the history of the Latino American people, such as the Spanish Civil War, immigration to the US, and the internment of Latinos with Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy’s informational yet heartwarming text provides a resource for young Latino readers to see themselves, while also encouraging non-Latino children to understand the breadth and depth of the contributions made by Latinos in the US.

Caldecott Medalist David Diaz’s hand-cut illustrations are bold and striking, perfectly complementing the vibrant stories in the book.

YES! WE ARE LATINOS stands alone in its presentation of the broad spectrum of Latino culture and will appeal to readers of fiction and nonfiction.
From Booklist
This book celebrates the amazing and underappreciated diversity of the Latino community and makes great strides toward ameliorating one-dimensional stereotypes. Through 12 narrative poems, the authors explore the experiences of fictional men and women; Christians and Jews; immigrants, indigenous people, and second-generation Americans; professionals and farmers; all of whom identify themselves as Latinos. Each poem is followed by brief factual explanation of the major themes within, such as the Spanish Civil War, Asian influences in Latin America, and Cuba’s relationship with the U.S.
Black-and-white abstract art by Caldecott winner Díaz elevates each individual’s story by illustrating major themes. While the authors include a bibliography of source material, they also acknowledge a lengthy list of people who provided inspiration for the topics discussed in the book. Perhaps it is the use of these real-life figures that gives the fictional vignettes such an air of realism and relatability for both Latino and non-Latino readers alike. Grades 3-6. –Erin Anderson

Kirkus Review
A poetic celebration of the diversity found among Latinos.
Each poem in this collection of 13 vignettes is a glimpse into the life of a Latino child living in the United States. Ada and Campoy do a commendable job of creating a nuanced, realistic reflection of the many-faceted Latino experience, including characters from a variety of ethnic, religious, language and racial backgrounds. […] An informational piece follows each poem that […] expands on the social and historical context with honesty and depth. […] Díaz’s signature black-and-white cut-paper art decorates the collection and is especially noteworthy in its reflection of the themes in the informational pieces.[…] a collection both interesting and educational, offering Latino children positive representations of themselves and teaching non-Latino children about the richness and breadth of the Latino experience.
Alma Flor Ada View titles by Alma Flor Ada
F. Isabel Campoy View titles by F. Isabel Campoy
David Diaz is the illustrator of many children's books, including Smoky Night(Harcourt), for which he won the Caldecott Medal, Yes! We Are Latinos, and Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert (Clarion), for which he received the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. His expressive art has also earned him four Pura Belpré honors and graces the Newbery Honor book The Wanderer by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins). View titles by David Diaz
There are more than fifty million people in the United States who call themselves Latinos or Latinas—a population larger than that of many countries. Have you ever asked yourself what makes someone a Latino?
            Latinos and Latinas come from diverse backgrounds. Some are descendants of the first Europeans who settled in what is today the United States: Spaniards who created cities like Saint Augustine, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; and Los Angeles, California. Many descend from families that lived in Texas, Arizona, and Colorado when the United States took those territories from Mexico as a war prize. Others immigrated to the United States at different times from Spanish-speaking countries.
            Did you know that Latinos and Latinas live in every state? They do, in both urban and rural areas. Some Latinos are highly educated professionals, doctors, scientists, and artists. Some are entrepreneurs, starting and running their own businesses. Others work in farms or factories, doing hard manual labor.
            Most Latinos and Latinas have mixed origins: they are mestizos, whether by blood or by culture. Their heritage includes roots from indigenous, African, and Spanish people, as well as the many others who have settled in Latin America over centuries.
            This book offers only a sample of what Latinos and Latinas may look like. If you have Latino ancestry, it may raise questions about your own rich heritage. If you do not have Latino ancestry, we hope it will interest you to learn more about Latinas and Latinos. May you find wonderful friends among them!
            Whatever your background, this book is an invitation to look inside yourself. What would your story tell us about you?
Copyright © 2016 by Alma Flor Ada (Author); F. Isabel Campoy (Author); David Diaz (Illustrator). All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About

Juanita lives in New York and is Mexican. Felipe lives in Chicago and is Panamanian, Venezuelan, and black. Michiko lives in Los Angeles and is Peruvian and Japanese. Each of them is Latino.

Thirteen young Latinos and Latinas living in America are introduced in this book celebrating the rich diversity of the Latino and Latina experience in the United States. Free-verse fictional narratives from the perspective of each youth provide specific stories and circumstances for the reader to better understand the Latino people’s quest for identity. Each profile is followed by nonfiction prose that further clarifies the character’s background and history, touching upon important events in the history of the Latino American people, such as the Spanish Civil War, immigration to the US, and the internment of Latinos with Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy’s informational yet heartwarming text provides a resource for young Latino readers to see themselves, while also encouraging non-Latino children to understand the breadth and depth of the contributions made by Latinos in the US.

Caldecott Medalist David Diaz’s hand-cut illustrations are bold and striking, perfectly complementing the vibrant stories in the book.

YES! WE ARE LATINOS stands alone in its presentation of the broad spectrum of Latino culture and will appeal to readers of fiction and nonfiction.

Praise

From Booklist
This book celebrates the amazing and underappreciated diversity of the Latino community and makes great strides toward ameliorating one-dimensional stereotypes. Through 12 narrative poems, the authors explore the experiences of fictional men and women; Christians and Jews; immigrants, indigenous people, and second-generation Americans; professionals and farmers; all of whom identify themselves as Latinos. Each poem is followed by brief factual explanation of the major themes within, such as the Spanish Civil War, Asian influences in Latin America, and Cuba’s relationship with the U.S.
Black-and-white abstract art by Caldecott winner Díaz elevates each individual’s story by illustrating major themes. While the authors include a bibliography of source material, they also acknowledge a lengthy list of people who provided inspiration for the topics discussed in the book. Perhaps it is the use of these real-life figures that gives the fictional vignettes such an air of realism and relatability for both Latino and non-Latino readers alike. Grades 3-6. –Erin Anderson

Kirkus Review
A poetic celebration of the diversity found among Latinos.
Each poem in this collection of 13 vignettes is a glimpse into the life of a Latino child living in the United States. Ada and Campoy do a commendable job of creating a nuanced, realistic reflection of the many-faceted Latino experience, including characters from a variety of ethnic, religious, language and racial backgrounds. […] An informational piece follows each poem that […] expands on the social and historical context with honesty and depth. […] Díaz’s signature black-and-white cut-paper art decorates the collection and is especially noteworthy in its reflection of the themes in the informational pieces.[…] a collection both interesting and educational, offering Latino children positive representations of themselves and teaching non-Latino children about the richness and breadth of the Latino experience.

Author

Alma Flor Ada View titles by Alma Flor Ada
F. Isabel Campoy View titles by F. Isabel Campoy
David Diaz is the illustrator of many children's books, including Smoky Night(Harcourt), for which he won the Caldecott Medal, Yes! We Are Latinos, and Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert (Clarion), for which he received the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. His expressive art has also earned him four Pura Belpré honors and graces the Newbery Honor book The Wanderer by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins). View titles by David Diaz

Excerpt

There are more than fifty million people in the United States who call themselves Latinos or Latinas—a population larger than that of many countries. Have you ever asked yourself what makes someone a Latino?
            Latinos and Latinas come from diverse backgrounds. Some are descendants of the first Europeans who settled in what is today the United States: Spaniards who created cities like Saint Augustine, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; and Los Angeles, California. Many descend from families that lived in Texas, Arizona, and Colorado when the United States took those territories from Mexico as a war prize. Others immigrated to the United States at different times from Spanish-speaking countries.
            Did you know that Latinos and Latinas live in every state? They do, in both urban and rural areas. Some Latinos are highly educated professionals, doctors, scientists, and artists. Some are entrepreneurs, starting and running their own businesses. Others work in farms or factories, doing hard manual labor.
            Most Latinos and Latinas have mixed origins: they are mestizos, whether by blood or by culture. Their heritage includes roots from indigenous, African, and Spanish people, as well as the many others who have settled in Latin America over centuries.
            This book offers only a sample of what Latinos and Latinas may look like. If you have Latino ancestry, it may raise questions about your own rich heritage. If you do not have Latino ancestry, we hope it will interest you to learn more about Latinas and Latinos. May you find wonderful friends among them!
            Whatever your background, this book is an invitation to look inside yourself. What would your story tell us about you?
Copyright © 2016 by Alma Flor Ada (Author); F. Isabel Campoy (Author); David Diaz (Illustrator). All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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