Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics

by Margarita Engle, Rafael López (Illustrator)

Musician, botanist, baseball player, pilot—the Latinos featured in this collection come from many different countries and from many different backgrounds. Celebrate their accomplishments and their contributions to a collective history and a community that continues to evolve and thrive today!

Biographical poems include: Aida de Acosta, Arnold Rojas, Baruj Benacerraf, César Chávez, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Félix Varela, George Meléndez, José Martí, Juan de Miralles, Juana Briones, Julia de Burgos, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Paulina Pedroso, Pura Belpré, Roberto Clemente, Tito Puente, Ynes Mexia, Tomás Rivera

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Latinx, History

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 14, 2017

About the author

Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She lives with her husband in northern California.

Reviews

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that Engle gives us people in the Latinx community that represent all aspects of art, the sciences and beyond. Many of these people I was completely unfamiliar with before reading the book. I am happy that my daughter can see representation of herself in the humanities and the sciences.

Some highlights for me: Pura Bulpe - the first Puertorriqueña to work for the New York Public Libary system. She advocated for bilingual children to have books available in English and Spanish.

Aida de Acosta - the first woman to fly a dirigible across a polo field in Paris six months before the Wright brothers took flight (I have NEVER heard about her). Her parents found it unseemly that she flew and so made her keep it quiet in fear she wouldn't find a husband.

George Melendez Wright - a park ranger that is one of the biggest advocates for conversation in the United States. But I have never read about him in the many books I've read about the environment.

All in all, I'm glad this book was highlighted on a shelf waiting for us.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realize until I had picked up the library book that my edition was in Spanish. However, the verses of this children’s book were simple and I only had to look up a few words. The book introduces us briefly to Hispanic figures who mainly lived in what is now the United States. From the 1700s to the 2000s, these men and women left their mark in many fields. I knew of José Martí, Tito Puente, Roberto Clemente, and Cêsar Chávez, but many were unknown to me. For example, Juana Briones, a rancher, an entrepreneur, and healer, was known as the “Founding Mother of San Francisco.” Maybe I had heard of her when I lived in Palo Alto in second grade, but I do not remember. Paulina Pedroso, who was a female leader in the Cuban War of Independence and sought racial equality in the U.S., hosted Jose Marti and other activists in Florida. Puerto Rican Louis Agassiz Fuertes was a prolific American bird artist and illustrator. Cuban-born Aída de Acosta was the first woman to fly a dirigible in the world (six months before the Wright Brothers’ flight). All of them are deceased but there are a couple of pages of extraordinary Latinos who are still around ranging from Sonia Sotomayor to Ricardo Blanco. Colorful and vibrant images provide children a taste of the country’s Hispanic heritage.

[Donalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also available in a Spanish edition.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I loved the concept and how much I learned from this book, the individual poems themselves didn't speak to me as much as I thought they would. They read more biographical than poetic to me, but that would not stop me from using this fantastic collection in a classroom for sure. The poems pair fabulously with the additional "Notes About the Lives" at the end - don't miss the back matter.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this collection of verse biographies. The illustrations are spectacular and the stories are fascinating.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read it at least three times and pored over the illustrations. The book contains poems about eighteen important hispanic individuals who lived in what is now known as the United States of America. The earliest character, Juan De Miralles, was born in the early 1700's and one of the most recent, Baruj Benacerraf, died in 2011. Women and men are highlighted. Many of them are mixes of African and indigenous peoples. Their contributions are diverse. Some, but not all of them are famous. I knew of a few of these people, but most were new to me. The back matter contains short biographies of each of them.
The poetry is exquisite. I was already a Margarita Engle fan, but her work here is profound. If you don't know her wordsmithing, you are in for a treat. She manages to reveal much about each person with her straight forward deceptively simple free verse. The first person narrative has lines that will blow your mind.
Rafael López' art is as gorgeous as the poetry. Each portrait reveals information about the individual's character. Other details hint as to their time and place.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo is a collection of poems about influential Hispanic figures. The poems feature a variety of types of famous people, such as musicians, historical figures, athletes, leaders, a pilot, and various other figures. Some may be better known than others, but they all have ancestry from different Latin American countries, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and El Salvador. Even more unique is that all of the people featured in these poems at one point lived in geographic regions now considered part of the modern United States, often times in cases in which their ancestors stayed in one place for so long that their homelands changed from Spanish colonies to Mexican territories, and then states within the US. In other cases some of these figures were born in the U.S but kept strong ties to the culture of their ancestors’ home country.

The back of the book features a mini biography on each of the figures, so the reader can find out more about a particular person and their history after reading the poems, or even to get some background knowledge before reading the poems. The poems are written from an autobiographical point of view, each of them describing who they are and what their contribution was. Each poem features a detailed illustration of the person, which also portrays what that person's contribution was. So even without reading, the illustrations give way to much meaning.

I think this collection of poems would be excellent to use during Hispanic Heritage month and tie in teaching the elements of poetry during this time through the use of the poems. Students can compare and contrast the different figures and the influences that they had. A teacher could also use these figures to teach geography of different places in the United States or Latin American countries, or the opposite in which geography is taught through studying these figures. I would recommend this book for 3rd grade and up.

[Dulce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author explains in a letter to the reader, "(Bravo) is not a book about the most famous Hispanics", it is instead a collection of biographical poems about a variety of Hispanic people who lived in regions now included in the modern U.S. These amazing people come from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and El Salvador and have diverse backgrounds. Some of these people achieved fame while alive and others after their death, but they all contributed to our society today. Included in this collection are a priest, a botanist, a poet, a painter, and the first woman to fly a plane, to name a few.

These free verse poems, written as if they were autobiographical, give the reader a brief description of each person's background and how they contributed to our society today. They also include their year they were born and died, as well as their country of origin. The illustrations of each person include a backdrop related to their work or field of expertise, and take over the page opposite to the poem, giving them just as much importance as the poems written to describe them.

This book, written by the current Young People's Poet Laureate Margarita Engle, would be enjoyed by students in grades 3-7, because even though the language used is not difficult, some of the content might be hard to understand for younger readers. This book could be used to teach writing narratives or biographies using free verse, as well as a different perspective on US History and how immigrants affected society then and now.

[Daniel Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary-This book is full of poems highlighting many Hispanic Americans. Poets include Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Felix Varella. The book is full of poets from around the world which reach places like, Cuba, Mexico, and Puerto Rico as well as ranging from different eras in history.
Personal Response-I like how these books focus on separate topics. Some poems are about social justice, others speak of birds, along with peace. This offers multiple examples for children to learn about poetry and the topic can be just about anything.
Illustrations- The illustrations done by Rafael Lopez are incredible. He uses different types of paint and pencils as well as other textures in the pictures. I really enjoyed the illustration for the poem, Choosing Peace, because of how intense Lopez portrays the man's expression while also adding the intensity of the sun.
Classroom Connections- This book could be used for a poetry break. Students could listen to Choosing peace and write about how they have different family traditions. Traditions could include holidays, vacations, or other special events they use in their family to bring them closer together. Another classroom connection would be using the poem, Let the Birds Live by Luiz Agassiz Fuertes. The children could use this poem to study different birds they see on the playground or anywhere outside and study them to find out what makes them special from other birds.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous book of poetry! It is so important that my students see themselves reflected in the books in my school Library and this book is a great one! I loved that it included many people I had never heard of before and had more information about them in the notes at the end of the book. I wish there were more books like this! I love that it also comes in Spanish

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo, Margarita Engle! This book needs to be in every classroom and every library! Let's inspire our Hispanic students to be all they can be!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lives of a variety of Latinos who faced life's challenges in their own ways. Each person is stunningly portrayed in López's strong and vibrant artwork.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics is a children's picture book written by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Rafael López. This book features the lives of a variety of Latinos who faced life's challenges with aplomb and in their own ways written in a poetic form.

For the most part, I rather like most of these contributions. Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics collects eighteen original poems honoring – and in the voice of the eighteen individuals. Eighteen Hispanic individuals from diverse professional and personal backgrounds are honored in Engle's plainspoken free-verse poems, written from each person's perspective. López creates bold, dramatic portraits of the subjects. Capsule biographies are a welcome supplement to the poems, which don't always fully contextualize the figures on their own.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It is an anthology of poetry in tribute to eighteen influential Hispanics from all walks of life.

Mentioned are: Aida de Acosta, Arnold Rojas, Baruj Benacerraf, César Chávez, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Félix Varela, George Meléndez, José Martí, Juan de Miralles, Juana Briones, Julia de Burgos, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Paulina Pedroso, Pura Belpré, Roberto Clemente, Tito Puente, Ynes Mexia, and Tomás Rivera.

All in all, Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics is a good launching platform of eighteen Hispanic individual that changed the world.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is a child's picture book, with each double page spread dedicated to a single Hispanic person of note. It is a great introduction to find out about the accomplishments of people who look like you, or to broaden your horizons and learn about people who are of a different culture than yourself. Margarita Engle is a poet, so she has set up her book with one side of each spread dedicated to simple to understand autobiographical words that introduce you to each individual. The other side of each is a gorgeous portrait illustration by Rafael Lopez. The range of professions and occupations described here is various and interesting, everything from botanist, to ball player, to pilot, artist, and beyond. Ms. Engle introduces us to people from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere, and there is a further list of accomplished individuals to explore in the back of the book. Now I must say that the "poems" on each page do not read as poems for me at all. They are paragraphs chopped up into lines that neatly fit the page. In my opinion, words that read as a paragraph but are broken up for no poetic reason do not become a poem. If there is not a break for emphasis, drama, emotion, and so on, it is a chopped paragraph, and I read them as such, skimming over the breaks once I realized there wasn't much reason for them. This does not take away from the content which is inspiring. In addition, more information is given in the back of the book about each amazing Hispanic she has included, opening the door for curious children to look even further for information about those with whom they are most intrigued.

[Rachel Buonforte]

This colorful text features Latinos from many different countries and backgrounds. This beautiful poetry book celebrates their accomplishments, ranging from musicians, botanists, pilots, and baseball players. The poems depict their contributions to a collective history that represents a community that continues to thrive and evolve today. I really like this book because it represents lives of Hispanics and their accomplishments. This book is diverse and could be used in a classroom to make all feel included along with teaching other students about different cultures and communities. A book that this could be paired with would be "The Flying Girl: How Aida de Acosta Learned to Soar." I chose this book because Bravo! includes a poem about Aida de Acosta. This could help students to understand her life story better, This book is connected to the social justice issue of representation of diversity in literature. This book represents Hispanics and their contributions and most books do not hit this mark. By representing all kinds of people in literature we can find that we are all much more similar than we are different.

[Johana Amezquita · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Hispanic woman, it feels amazing to hear everything that my people have accomplished! This book had me smiling from ear to ear!

In this book, it talks about the accomplishments and contributions that Hispanics have made. Their success marks history and opportunity for everyone. When I was reading this book it made me appreciate ethnicity. Two themes in this book are perseverance and hope. The reason why perserverance is one of the themes is because the book features a variety of Hispanic people that faced challenges but neer gave up. Their hard work and perserverance brought them success. Hope is the other theme that was used in this poem because the Hispanic people held onto hope in order to be something or make something. They had a dream to become someone. The main genre of this book is poetry. It is poetry because it is free versed. Children reading this book could learn how important Hispanics are as well as others. I feel like Hispanics aren't talked about as often or appreciated as much. I believe Hispanics are one of the hardest working people and deserve to be recognized. It's even more important for Hispanic kids to be in touch with who they are.
A few of the writing craft techniques that the author used that enchanced the quality of the wrting in this book were voice and word choice. Voice and word choice are similar, with voice, the author sounds enthusiastic to talk about the vareity of Hispanics people which creates an excitement and influences the reader to become more intruged. When it comes to word choice, the author uses great words that keep the reader interested and following along. Some words are puertoiquenia, un vaquero, and more. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it represents Hispanic people who have made history in a presentable way. Throughout the story the author never critized or belittled anyone.

[Kayla Cascone]

This book is intended for students grades 3-6 and is for children who take an interest in history, poetry, and cultural pride. The themes/topics for this book are of, success, pride, empowerment. i chose this book for my classroom because this text glorifies the achievements of Hispanic role models in easy to read and relate to poetry thus offering students a pleasant mirror of Latinx identity and a reason to be proud over cultural heritage.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures highlight poetry about famous Hispanics.

[Elizabeth]

I wasn't that impressed by the actual poems, but the people profiled are really interesting, and I would read longer biographies of basically all of them. (The backmatter does give mini-bios of each of them, as well as a list of 26? others who weren't included but could have been -- including "Rosemary Casals, Salvadoran American tennis star who demanded equal pay for women" and "José Feliciano, the Puerto Rican folksinger who fought for the right of blind people to take their guide dogs on airplanes"!)

Engle's opening note says, "Dear Readers, This is not a book about the most famous Hispanics. These poems are about a variety of amazing people who lived in geographic regions now included in the modern United States. They are people who have faced life's challenges in creative ways. Some were celebrated in their lifetimes but have been forgotten by history. Others achieved lasing fame." I might posit that César Chávez does count as among "the most famous Hispanics," but generally it really is unknown folks. There's José Martí (Cuban independence, who I mostly know from picturebooks) and I'd maybe heard of Roberto Clemente (baseball player) and Tito Puente (jazz musician), but I definitely hadn't heard of the other 14 (well, I recognized Pura Belpré from the award that bears her name -- I thought maybe I'd read her story in Tomás and the Library Lady but no, that's Tomás Rivera, who's actually in this book; Googling tells me that Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré is coming out next year).

Minh Lê‏'s "Best Picture Books of 2017" gave this an Honorable Mention for "Most Powerful."

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young People’s Poet Laureate Margarita Engle once again educates us about Latinos as she brings to life 18 individuals, from many time periods (presented chronologically), walks of life, and spheres of influence through her poetry.

In “First Friend”, Juan de Miralles (a Cuban observer and friend of George Washington) tells his story in 1780: “George asks me to help by sending my ships back to the island of Cuba – my homeland – so that I can deliver a fragrant load of juice green tropical limes and tasty pink guavas. Fresh fruit really is the cure for scurvy.”

Felix Varela talks about his support of Irish immigrants in 1800’s New York in “Choosing Peace”: “I work hard to help Irish families build schools for their children, and I tend cholera patients, and I defend Irish American boys and girls against insults from mobs who hate them just because their parents are immigrants.”

Mexican-American Juana Briones used medicinal herbs to cure the sick in San Francisco in the 1800’s. Paulina Pedroso and Jose Marti were Cuban-Americans who spoke out against inequality in the U.S. Tito Puente was the King of Latin Jazz. Hailing from Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente was a Pittsburgh Pirate baseball player who died in a plane crash while trying to deliver supplies to earthquake survivors in Nicaragua.

Some well-known, some obscure to the general public, each person is given a two-page spread, one with a full-color mixed media image of the person and the facing page with the person’s name, years lived, country of origin, and an original poem about the individual which gives readers an idea of his/her contribution to society. Backmatter includes more information about each person and includes a list of other Latinos (who presumably were under consideration for inclusion). Lopez’s artwork is stunning, bright and colorful, with a feeling of the culture and time each subject lived.

A core title for K-8 classrooms looking to include not only diversity, but also consideration for others through the magic of words.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to find this collection of poems about 18 different Hispanic men and women who made a difference in the world in my mail. Since there is an English version and a Spanish version of the book, its poems will be that much more accessible to its intended audience. In its pages, the always-reliable Margarita Engle has carefully chosen a wide variety of individuals to highlight. While some, such as Pura Belpre and Roberto Clemente, will be familiar to readers, others such as George Melendez Wright and Julia de Burgos will not. All of them faced some sort of challenges in their lives, and all clung fast to the dreams that kept them motivated to achieve those dreams, changing some small part of the world along the way. The poems are arranged in order of birth of the individuals featured here. Engle uses her words sparingly, not overwhelming readers with text but carefully providing just enough details to interest readers who can then read more about each person in the Notes about the Lives in the back matter as well as do some independent research of their own. Interestingly, Engle dedicates the book to Dr. Tomas Rivera, her creative writing professor and the last person to be highlighted here. Created with acrylics on wood, pen and ink, watercolor, construction paper, and Adobe Photoshop, the full-page illustrations are filled with bright colors to honor the vibrant lives depicted here. How exciting to have all these lives and their stories bound together! This is an essential title for social studies classrooms. As much as I've read, there were several individuals whose stories were unfamiliar to me, which both pleases me since I can learn something new but makes me feel sheepish because of my lack of knowledge.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margarita Engle’s 2014 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee “Mountain Dog” is an excellent example of narrative poetry and continues to be a dog themed favorite with my students, so I was pleased to see another one of her books on the 2018 TBA list. “Bravo” introduces readers to a broad array of significant Hispanics from a variety of geographic regions and a plethora of occupations. The poems, however, are so brief that readers will often be left with more questions about what the individual did than any clear understanding of their contributions. Back matter gives additional information on all these important people, but I know my students—if they don’t get the information from the main section of the book, it is doubtful that they will read the extras at the end and even less likely that they will do additional research on their own. All that being said, our students need to know that our history is filled with strong people from a wide variety of backgrounds. That fact, coupled with incredible artwork by Rafael Lopez using acrylic on wood, pen and ink, watercolor, construction paper, and even Photoshop, make this a book that has a place on the shelves of libraries serving kids from grades 3-8. Art, history, and ELA teachers should all be able to use this book in their classrooms.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engle, Margarita Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics Illustrated by Rafael Lopez PICTURE BOOK Godwin Books, 2017 (Henry Holt and Co). $18.99 Content: G.

Eighteen different Hispanic people are covered in this illustrated book of poems. Each poem eludes to how that person overcame hardship and contributed to the greater good in America. At the back of the book is a full paragraph that gives a better biography about what that person did. The people are from all different time periods, as far back as the 1700’s and all of them have passed away.

The poems were too vague and I found that I wanted more information. I actually liked the biographies at the back of the book the most. The illustrations are fantastic and so well done. I loved that there is a picture book that celebrates some of the Hispanic people. This would be good to use for a biography unit to give kids a quick introduction and maybe spark a further interest in learning more about the people included in this book.

EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Debrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are just glorious. A consistent, rich, warm palette brings to life portraits that feel both larger than life and intimately human. Each image includes some symbols of the subject's passions: hot peppers, a dirigible, molecular chains. On the facing page is a brief poem and another small illustration alluding beautifully to several aspects of the person's story. A friend of mine found the poems just the right amount of invitation to entice her into hunting out more information, but in several cases I found them so brief as to feel stunted. I was glad for the biographical sketches included in the back, and wished a few more of the details they contained had been revealed in the poems as well. Still, I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of an assortment of Hispanic people, chronologically arranged. I did wonder if the preponderance of folks affiliated with Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico had to do with early patterns of immigration; if not, I would have liked the author to address how she came to choose many fewer people from South America, say.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to a host of Hispanics, both well-known and those who have fallen into obscurity but made an impact during their lives.

Each person in this gets a two page spread with a free verse poem about their accomplishments along with amazing illustrations that include weave in elements of what made them famous. I had never heard of several of these people but others are super well-known. I loved the great breadth in occupations and areas of life in which these Hispanics had an impact. There's a role model for pretty much anyone in here. All of those highlighted are dead, some Hispanics still alive receive a shoutout in the final spread. Further information about everyone highlighted can be found in the back of the book. A well put together book that will tantalize many readers just enough to go find out more about these people. I fully expect a Belpré sticker of some kind on this book come next January. (Which seems extra fitting since this was the first book I've read that explained to me who Belpré was.)

[Anoush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book listening to an audio podcast interview of the author and illustrator. Each featured person is introduced in a poem and I loved learning hints about their lives through the poetry. I found myself imagining the people as they might have been in life. I looked at the years they lived (too many of them seemed to have too short lives) and what they did in that time.

I was also grateful for the small biographical blurbs at the end that slightly expanded the picture of their lives. The poems are short and interesting, making this book extremely accessible. I could learn about historical figures like this all day long!

My favorite was Louis Agassiz Fuertes, an artist who loved to paint birds in motion. I had no idea the preferred method of painting birds before then was to kill and stuff them so they'd stay still!

So I learn to paint quickly, while wild creatures
fly swiftly, high overhead in the wide
wondrous
sky.

[RLL22017 Flora Zayas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engle and Lopez take readers through a quick multicultural history that captures a fraction of the struggles and adversities Hispanics had to overcome for a quality lifestyle. Engle's simple poems focus on prominent hispanics from every area- sports (Roberto Clemente) to art (Louis Agassiz Fuertes) to music (Tito Puente) to pilots (Aida de Acosta) to scientists (George Melendez Wright). The simple poems are equally matched by the simplistic yet colorful illustrations by Rafeal Lopez.


While this particular book did not win any awards, Lopez has received awards for some of his others illustrations.

This book is recommended for the ages 8 to 12 years old.

Some successful activities could be close reading, creating poems about people who inspire the students, and discussion questions.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Engle states at the outset that this isn't a book about the most famous Hispanic Americans, but about various interesting and amazing ones. Indeed, I only recognized about half of these people, so it was a pleasure to learn about the others whom I'd never heard of. At the end of the book she provides 4 pages of further information about the lives of these people, many of whom I felt inspired to want to read more about.

I was also drawn to the Rafael Lopez's illustrations, colorful full-face close-ups. I particularly felt drawn to the pictures of Felix Varela and Juana Briones, maybe because of the brilliant suns shining in the backgrounds, rays of light touching their shoulders, but also, I think, by the looks of determination on their faces. I'm hoping this one wins at least a Pura Belpre Award next year. Highly recommended!!

[RLL22017-Tammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! provides various Hispanic background information about: a chemist, a baseballer, a folk teller, a cowboy and the first latin woman pilot. The listings of everyone provides their names, their origin, their birth and death year, and their talents of how each has contributed towards their struggle and community. Colorful portrait pictures gives you an idea of who they were. Jose' Marti from cuba who was an activist, a writer and a folk teller. Aida de Acosta from cuba who flew airships in Paris, France. Roberto Clemente who played b`eisbol from Puerto Rico. These are just a few of the many that the author Margarita Engle introduced to me. I would suggest 3-5th graders to read for historical and poetry readings.

[Ro Menendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the title of the book includes the phrase "Poems about amazing Hispanics", Margarita Engle hopes readers will look beyond heritage and appreciate the courage, creativity, and passion of the people showcased in this book. The illustrations are by Rafael Lopez, who uses bold and bright colors, symbolism, and objects to give the reader a sense of what it would be like to meet, or see each of these amazing people in their element. The poems are short and biographical, I learned details about many of the people in this book that I did not know, even though I have read about them before. At the end the author includes "Notes About The Lives", to give readers further details.