Bravo!: Poems about Amazing Hispanics

Gr 4-7--Engle highlights 18 Latinxs from a range of ethnic backgrounds and countries of origin, all of whom lived in what is now the United States or its territories. Each person made a positive impact on U.S. history, and although some are not well-known, their contributions warrant an important place in the U.S. collective cultural knowledge. Engle's masterly first-person poems capture the essence of each individual, while notes about each figure at the end provide context to spur curiosity and further research. Additionally, the final celebratory poem features an additional 22 contemporary Latinxs in a crescendo to the present, ending with applause: "Bravo!" The pairing of these biographical poems with Lopez's distinctive artwork leaves a lasting visual impression, as the subjects, surrounded by images representing their vocations, look readers straight in the eye or are totally absorbed in their work. These full-page illustrations serve as bold counterparts to the poems. VERDICT Although lacking specific source notes for student readers and writers, this book is a welcome addition to schools and libraries, as it expands the canon of historically significant individuals in the United States in such a lyrical and aesthetically pleasing manner.--Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, Chicago, IL

Eighteen Hispanic individuals from diverse professional and personal backgrounds are honored in Engle's plainspoken free-verse poems, written from each person's perspective. "I struggled to become a teacher/ and a poet, so I could use words/ to fight for equal rights for women," explains Puerto Rican activist Julia de Burgos, while George Melendez Wright, the first chief of the National Park Service's wildlife division, speaks to his environmental passions: "Let us save rare species/ before it is too late!" Lopez (who illustrated Engle's Dream Drum Girl) creates bold, dramatic portraits of the subjects, which include Jose Marti, Pura Belpre, Tito Puente, and Cesar Chavez. Capsule biographies are a welcome supplement to the poems, which don't always fully contextualize the figures on their own. A Spanish-language edition is available simultaneously. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. Illustrator's agency: Full Circle Literary. (Mar.)