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. 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.