An introduction titled "Our Indigenous Roots" discussing the native peoples of Mexico and Central and South America is the entryway into a celebration of diversity within Latino culture in the United States. Thirteen fictional children then tell about their lives in verse narratives that are followed by short informational essays providing background on the cultural history the child represents. Each verse begins with the child stating who they are: "My name is Juanita. I am Mexican. I live in New York. I am Latina ... My name is Santiago. I am Dominican. I live in Detroit. I am Latino ... My name is Felipe. I am Panamanian and Venezuelan. I am black. I live in Chicago. I am Latino ... My name is Lili. I am Guatemalan. I am Chinese. I live in Los Angeles. I am Latina ..." The verse narratives are poems grounded in details of family and memories and desires. The essays provide facts about the history of the child's country/culture of origin and migration to the United States. In truth, no single book can capture the incredible diversity within Latino culture in America. What this book does do is offer a sense of the breadth and depth of the culture and history, along with hopes and dreams, that can be represented by individual lives. Numerous resources for continuing to explore the topic of Latino diversity are suggested at book's end. (Ages 9-13)

Juanita lives in New York and is Mexican. Felipe lives in Chicago and is Panamanian, Venezuelan, and black. Michiko lives in Los Angeles and is Peruvian and Japanese. Each of them is also Latino.

Thirteen young Latinos and Latinas living in America are introduced in this book celebrating the rich diversity of the Latino and Latina experience in the United States. Free-verse fictional narratives from the perspective of each youth provide specific stories and circumstances for the reader to better understand the Latino people’s quest for identity. Each profile is followed by nonfiction prose that further clarifies the character’s background and history, touching upon important events in the history of the Latino American people, such as the Spanish Civil War, immigration to the US, and the internment of Latinos with Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy’s informational yet heartwarming text provides a resource for young Latino readers to see themselves, while also encouraging non-Latino children to understand the breadth and depth of the contributions made by Latinos in the US. Caldecott Medalist David Diaz’s hand-cut illustrations are bold and striking, perfectly complementing the vibrant stories in the book.

YES! WE ARE LATINOS stands alone in its presentation of the broad spectrum of Latino culture and will appeal to readers of fiction and nonfiction.