Latin America has always been a full contributor to the rich poetic tradition of the Spanish language. Even before the arrival of the Spanish, the native peoples of Central and South America had a poetic idiom of their own. This bilingual anthology for young readers, containing sixty-four poems from nineteen countries, presents a fascinating mix of established and new poets. A significant portion of the book comes from the native community. Traditional pre-Colombian work is represented alongside that of young indigenous poets, who are writing some of the most exciting and fresh poetry in the Americas today.
Divided into four loose thematic groupings -- Magic Recipes, Traditional Songs and Cooings, The Cricket Sings in the Mountain, and Words and Books -- the poems range from celebrations of nature to nonsense, from politics to magic. Poems of long-famous poets such as Gabriela Mistral, Nicanor Parra, Ruben Dario and Miguel Angel Asturias are included along with the poems of the revolutionary Salvadoran, Roque Dalton, the brilliant Maya, Humberto Ak'abal, and the wonderful Cuban, Emilia Gallego.
Claudia Lee, the editor, searched many sources to find poems that would engage young people, would represent the diversity of Latin America and, perhaps most importantly, would include dynamic, new voices. With beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Colombian illustrator Rafael Yockteng, the book provides an outstanding introduction to a rich poetic tradition and an engaging way for young readers to encounter poetry.
Originally published separate Spanish and English versions in 2002, this bilingual anthology will be a welcome addition to any library or home with an interest in Latin American culture

CLAUDIA M. LEE is a noted writer, translator and Spanish-language editor. She lives in Bogota, Colombia.