Genre: Children's Poetry
Subject: A series of poems about life within a Hispanic family
These poems go against the typical format of poetry for children. I find this to be both good and bad. There is no fixed rhyme, and so the poems have a feeling of storytelling instead of poetry. It does, however, introduce different styles to children which will broaden their understanding of the genre. My major criticism with this book is that most of the poems have bilingual references in them that may confuse younger readers, or readers with no Spanish background. While those raised in or around Hispanic society may understand what is being said, those with less exposure may not grasp the meaning in a lot of these poems. Perhaps this book would be a good read for older students who can take it upon themselves to discover the meaning behind the bilingual references.
