From U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, one of the most prominent Chicano poets writing today, here are poems like sweet music

Awarded the Pura Belpré Honor for this book, Herrera writes in both Spanish and English about the joy and laughter and sometimes the confusion of growing up in an upside-down, jumbled-up world—between two cultures, two homes.

With a crazy maraca beat, Herrera creates poetry as rich and vibrant as mole de olé and pineapple tamales...an aroma of papaya...a clear soup with strong garlic, so you will grow, not disappear. Herrera's words show us what it means to laugh out loud until it feels like flying.

Juan Felipe Herrera's vibrant poems dance across these pages in a dazzling explosion of two languages, English and Spanish. Skillfully crafted, beautiful, joyful, fun, the poems are paired with whimsical black-and-white drawings by Karen Barbour. The resulting collage fills the soul and celebrates a life lived between two cultures.

Laughing out loud, I fly, toward the good things, to catch Mamá Lucha on the sidewalk, afterschool, waiting for the green-striped bus, on the side of the neighborhood store, next to almonds, José's tiny wooden mule, the wise boy from San Diego, teeth split apart, like mine in the coppery afternoon . . .

How does it feel to live between two languages, two worlds?

Poems in Spanish and English: Experience every poem in two languages, side-by-side, creating a rich collage of words and culture that leaps off the page.
A Pura Belpré Honor Book: Discover the award-winning collection celebrated for its outstanding portrayal of the Latino cultural experience in literature for young people.
From a U.S. Poet Laureate: Written by one of the most celebrated voices in Chicano literature, Juan Felipe Herrera, offering young readers a chance to engage with a master poet.
Bicultural Identity: Explore the joy, confusion, and laughter of growing up between two homes and two cultures, from pineapple tamales to accordion polkas.
Whimsical Illustrations: Paired with Karen Barbour’s playful black-and-white drawings that perfectly capture the poems’ crazy maraca beat.

Laughing Out Loud, I Fly

Laughing Out Loud, I Fly