Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Lauren Castillo
Published by Candlewick Press on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 076369052X
Pages: 32
Goodreads

He Is a distinguished author and activist and the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, but before that, he was a migrant child moving from town to town, never calling any one place home. He entered school not knowing English  or any of his classmates. This is his story, the story of Juan Felipe Herrera, told in the way he knows best-in poetic verse. In it, he challenges the reader – If I can do this- imagine what you can do! If I can leave my home, move to the city, enter a classroom knowing  no one, learn a new language,sing in front of a  class, hone my craft and become a great poet-think of what you can do. His text is supported and expanded by Castillo’s large expressive pen and foam monoprint illustrations. Imagine  is not only a beautiful book to look at, it carries a message of challenge and hope that we can aspire to be and do anything we wish no matter the odds. Use this with units of immigration, poetry and persons who overcame the odds to be their true selves.

grades 2-6

submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library