>> From the Library of
Congress, in Washington D.C.
>> Karen Jaffe: Good morning.
Buenos días.
I am Karen Jaffe, of the Young
Leader Center, and I'm welcoming you
to our DIA day, from YRC [phonetic],
and the Center for the Book.
Today, is special for
two reasons; first,
we are honoring the 20th
anniversary of el Día de los Niños,
y el Día de los Libros, and we
are celebrating with none other
than the 21st poet laureate
of the Library of Congress
and the nation, Juan Felipe Herrera.
Before I introduce Juan Felipe,
I want to greet our guests.
So, when I call out your school,
please let me hear from you;
third graders from Oyster Adams.
And third grades from Monte Verde.
Thank you, and welcome.
OK, now I need you to
hear what we have to say
in the program, thank you.
One more very important
thing to remember;
at the end of this program, we
will have a time for you to be able
to ask Juan Felipe some questions.
This program is being videotaped,
it's very, very important
that you do not start
with your question
until you have a microphone, and we
have special helpers who are going
to be walking around
with the microphone.
So, you can raise your hand, you'll
be called on, and then you will wait
for the microphone, and when you
finish you will give it back,
and help the next student
with doing the same thing.
So, please remember that.
And secondly; for teachers and
chaperones, I will call the schools
at the end of the program, when
it's time to leave the room,
and you will leave by the
school that's called first,
and then the school that's
second, to make it easier to exit.
So, make sure that your students are
seated, until I call the school in.
And now, it's my great pleasure,
to introduce Juan Felipe Herrera,
who is the author of 30 books of
poetry, novels for young adults,
and a collection for children,
including most recently,
notes on the assemblage from 2015.
He's published 30 books for
young adults and children,
including Portraits of
Aesthetic American Heroes,
which you are going
to learn about today.
Elected in 2011 at Chancellor for
the Academy of American Poets,
from 2012 to 2015, he has served
as the poet laureate of California.
Key awards, include Pen
USA National Poetry Award,
Pen Oakland Josephine Miles Award,
as well as two America's Awards,
two Pura Belpré Author Honor Awards,
and two Latino Hall of Fame Awards,
and the Ezra Jack Keats Award.
Fellowships from the Bread
loaf Writers Conference,
and Stanford University Chicano
Fellows, he is a recent recipient
of an honorary doctorate
from Skidmore College,
he held the Thomas Rivera Endowed
Chair in Ethnic and Creative Writing
at the department of the
University of California, Riverside,
where he taught until he
retired last year, in 2015,
he lives in Fresno, California,
he's come a long way; Juan Felipe.
[ Music ]
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Bienvenidos, queridos niños y niñas,
welcome, welcome -- Hola, hola.
Muchas gracias por llegar
aquí, thank you for being here,
and thank you teachers,
maestras y maestros,
thank you so much, muchas gracias.
Todos digan muchas gracias.
>> Muchas gracias.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Todos
digan, muchas gracias mamá y papá.
>> Muchas gracias mamá y papá.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Todos
digan, me gusta el Guacamole.
>> Me gusta el Guacamole.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Everybody
say, I like extra hot salsa.
>> I like extra hot salsa.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Everybody,
use your little bird voices --
little bird voices and say, me
gusta mucho leer y escribir.
>> Me gusta mucho leer y escribir.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y todos,
quiero que escriban
su nombre en el aire.
Uno, dos, y tres.
Muy bien, ¿Les gusta leer?
Do you like to read?
¿Les gusta escribir?
¿Les gusta hacer el arte?
¿Les gusta correr?
Very good, do you love computer?
Do you have dreams?
How many of you -- ¿Cuántos
de ustedes tienen voces?
OK. How many of you have voices?
I have -- tengo un mensaje para
ustedes, I have a message for you,
tengo un mensaje especial
para ustedes.
I have a very especial message
for you, and that message is,
ese mensaje es, ustedes
tienen una voz muy bonita.
You would have -- you have
the most beautiful voice.
And, I have another message for you,
tengo otro mensaje para ustedes,
I have another message for you.
I want you to encourage everyone by
telling them, and believing in them,
by telling them that they
too have a beautiful voice.
[ Music ]
Thank you, muchas gracias,
I'm very happy
that you encourage your friends
by telling them they
have beautiful voices,
estoy muy feliz que les dieron
mucho apoyo a sus amigas y amigos,
y les dijeron que tienen
voces hermosas and malas nota,
then we'll talk about this beautiful
book and we'll play the harmonica,
and we'll sing some songs, OK?
Thanks.
Sometimes our friends, sometimes we
feel alone, sometimes our friends
and we feel sad, sometimes our
friends and we feel afraid.
I want you to believe in yourself,
and I want you to always remember
that you have a beautiful voice,
and I want you to encourage those
of your friends and
family, by telling them,
"You have a beautiful voice, mama.
Papa, you have a beautiful voice,
and teacher you have
a beautiful voice",
and remember you have
a beautiful voice,
because that's what I was told
by my third grade teacher,
mi maestra de tercer año, Miss
Stanson [phonetic] me dijo, "Bonito,
para acá arriba y canta una canción.
Come up front to sing a song",
and I said, "Tres blind mice",
and we will say, "Tres blind mice".
>> Tres blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
See how they coming.
>> See how they coming.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: see
how they corren y brincan.
>> See how they corren y brincan.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Se puede
entrar a la Biblioteca del Congress.
>> Se puede entrar en la
Biblioteca del Congress.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y voy a ingresar a la
Biblioteca del Congress.
>> Y voy a ingresar a la
Biblioteca del Congress.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Con
permiso, necesito muchos libros.
>> Con permiso, necesito
muchos libros.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tres, cuatro blind mice,
>> Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Muchos black and white mice.
>> Muchos black and White mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y se
pusieron a leer los libros.
>> Y se pusieron a leer los libros.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y se
pusieron a escribir sus reportes.
>> Y se pusieron a
escribir sus reportes.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y se
pusieron a cantar sus poemas.
>> Y se pusieron a
cantar sus poemas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Tres,
cuatro, cinco blind mice.
>> Tres, cuatro, cinco blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y luego se acostaron.
>> Y luego se acostaron.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y luego se durmieron.
>> Y luego se durmieron.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y luego soñaron.
>> Y luego soñaron.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y luego se levantaron.
>> Y luego se levantaron.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y luego
comieron mucha salsa con tortillas.
>> Y luego comieron mucha
salsa con tortillas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Tres, cuatro blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Dos, uno, blind mice.
>> Dos, uno blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: No
más quedo uno blind mice.
>> No más quedo uno blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: No
más quedo una blind mice.
>> No más quedo una blind mice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y se comieron todo los
frijoles y el brown rice.
>> Y se comieron todos los
frijoles y el Brown rice.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Una mano
para todos ustedes, otra vez.
Very good, muy bien.
[ Music ]
¿Ya vieron este libro?
Mira, necesito dos voluntarios.
Uno, y dos.
Por favor, miren acá al frente
conmigo, por favor, mis voluntarios;
muchas gracias, muchas gracias.
Very good, y ven acá
conmigo por favor,
come up here with me,
thank you so much.
And let's get our sister
and our brother a big mano,
una mano para los dos
compañeros y compañera.
Muy bien, very good, así, thank you.
And what's your name?
Belen [phonetic] this is Belen,
and let's go read for a minute.
Mundo verde, and this is your name?
This is Croy [phonetic] and
what school are you from?
¿Cómo es tu aula?
Elementary?
Very good, very good.
Lift your little hands
to read this book,
to read it a tiempo para
leer este libro un poquito,
y solo una página y son páginas de
Héroes Latinos y Latinas, ¿verdad?
¿Y te acuerdas cual dijiste?
¿Cuál fue?
Victoria Soto, OK.
Y Victoria Soto, ¿Se
acuerdan de Victoria Soto?
Victoria Soto se --
Les quiero dar las gracias a Belen y
a Croy porque ellos llegaron acá en
frente conmigo, they
came up in front with me.
When I was in elementary school,
it was very difficult for me
to volunteer and to come
up in the front in class,
para mi buscar buena
en la escuela primaria,
se me hacía muy difícil ser
voluntario y hasta llegar al frente
de la clase y al decir algo.
So, I'm very happy that you
came up here, estoy muy feliz,
Croy que llegaste acá; y
Belen, que llegaste acá.
Y escribí este libro, porque es
importante perder las historias de
nuestros héroes, de nuestra
comunidad, todos digan héroes.
>> Héroes.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y digan gente nuestra.
>> Gente nuestra.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Así
con sus brazos de nuestra.
>> De nuestra.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Comunidad.
>> Comunidad.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Es muy importante.
>> Es muy importante.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tener héroes.
>> Tener héroes.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
De nuestra comunidad.
>> De nuestra comunidad.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tenemos que saber.
>> Tenemos que saber.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tenemos que saber.
>> Tenemos que saber.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y escribir.
>> Y escribir.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y conocer.
>> Y conocer.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y platicar.
>> Y platicar.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Sobre de nuestros héroes.
>> Sobre de nuestros héroes.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
De nuestra comunidad.
>> De nuestra comunidad.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: OK,
vamos a decir unos nombres,
pónganse a decir unos nombres, we're
going to speak up some names, OK?
Todos digan conmigo, oh;
Belen di conmigo, presentando.
>> Belen: Presentando.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Rita Moreno.
>> Belen: Rita Moreno.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Croy
say with me presentando.
>> Croy: Presentando.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Roberto Clemente.
>> Croy: Roberto Clemente.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: muy bien.
Ahora, todos ustedes digan,
everybody get ready, presentando.
>> Presentando.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Carolina Otero.
>> Carolina Otero.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Ignacio [inaudible].
>> Ignacio [inaudible].
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Bernardo de Galvéz.
>> Bernardo de Galvez.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Fernanda Mendez.
>> Fernanda Mendez.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Luis Alvelais.
>> Luis Alvelais.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Julio de Burgos.
>> Julio de Burgos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Desi de Arnaz.
>> Desi de Arnaz.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Cesar Chavez.
>> Cesar Chavez.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Dolores Huerta.
>> Dolores Huerta.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Jaime Alfonso Escalante.
>> Jaime Alfonso Escalante.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tomas Rivera.
>> Tomas Rivera.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Que fue poeta.
>> Que fue poeta.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Joe Vargas.
>> Joe Vargas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Que fue cantante.
>> Que fue cantante.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Yury [inaudible].
>> Yury [inaudible].
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Que fue pintora.
>> Que fue pintora.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Ellen Ochoa.
>> Ellen Ochoa.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Que fue una astronauta.
>> Que fue astronauta.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Eva Street [phonetic].
>> Eva Street.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y Sonia Sotomayor.
>> Sonia Sotomayor.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Muy bonito.
Ahora, como dijiste, Victoria
Soto, it was a great hero who died
in a sanity book elementary, yes.
So, ¿Cómo se arregla Belen?
And Croy, a big mano, you too,
una mano para todos ustedes, OK.
Thank you, muchas gracias
Belen, gracias.
When did he say burrito by
-- what do you start it?
And why was it not easy?
Porque no -- I have to do
another research, todos digan --
Muy bien. Todos digan -- si, sí.
Ahorita andamos -- todos
digan para escribir.
>> Para escribir.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Tenemos que hacer.
>> Tenemos que hacer.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Mucha, mucha, mucha.
>> Mucha, mucha, mucha.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: In
>> In.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Ves.
>> Ves.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Ti.
>> Ti.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Ga.
>> Ga.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Ción.
>> Ción.
Y me preguntaste, me
pregunto, me preguntaron --
I wanted Croy to ask me from
Oyster Adams, if I knew somebody
in this book; I'm going
to tell you the truth,
les voy a decir la
verdad, it was very hard
to do the research porque no
tenemos suficientes libros,
we don't have enough books
on Latino and Latina heroes.
So, today, I want to
invite you to do research,
and whenever you have the
chance on our community heroes,
of all colors and all countries, OK?
Because there's not enough
books about the stories,
and our parents are heroes too, and
our grandparents are heroes too.
So, all that you have to do is talk
to your mama and papa, and grandma
and grandpa, about the
lives and write the story
with artwork, is that OK?
Do you like that idea
a little or a lot?
Medium? A lot?
Todos digan, nos gusta mucho,
queremos investigar nuestras
historias de nuestras familias,
una mano para todos
ustedes, big applauding.
[ Inaudible ]
Presentando el gato
xenófobo, muchas gracias.
Presentando.
>> Presentando.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
The cat on black.
>> The cat on black.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
El gato xenófobo.
>> El gato xenófobo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la cola se le mojo.
>> Y la cola se le mojo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y el perro le ladro.
>> Y el perro le ladro.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la pata se espino.
>> Y la pata se espino.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la mosca se cayó.
>> Y la mosca se cayó.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y un frijol se sumió.
>> Y un frijol se sumió.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y el comal se enrojeció.
>> Y el comal se enrojeció.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la tortilla se quemó.
>> Y la tortilla se quemó.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y mi mama me dijo.
>> Y mi mama me dijo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Que mis chones los cacho.
>> Que mis chones los cacho.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
y mi iPad se estrelló.
>> Y mi iPad.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Se.
>> Se.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Es.
>> Es.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Trello.
El gato se enojó.
>> El gato se enojó.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la cola se mojó.
>> Y la cola se mojó.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
y el perro le ladro.
>> Y el perro le ladro.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la pata se espino.
>> Y la pata se espino.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y la mosca.
>> Y la mosca.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Se.
>> Se.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Subió, en un frijol se subió.
That's very good -- Y
el coman se enrojeció.
>> Y el coman se enrojeció.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y la tortilla se quemó.
>> Y la tortilla se quemó.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y mi mamá me dijo.
>> Y mi mama me dijo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Que mis chones los cacho.
>> Que mis chones los cacho.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y mi iPad.
>> Y mi iPad.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Mi iPad
>> Mi iPad.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Se.
>> Se.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Es.
>> Es.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Trello.
Una mano para todos ustedes.
OK.
OK, this one, esta se llama I
am mellow like food coloring,
I am mellow like [inaudible] I
am mellow like food coloring,
I need six one of you; three
and three, one, two, three.
Three volunteers, one,
two, three, here.
Very good.
Belen? OK.
OK, until the next day.
OK, over there -- very good, OK.
Thank you.
OK, thank you very much
for coming up here.
Thank you, very good, thank you, OK.
Eva is representing.
>> Representing.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Presenting Mundo Verde.
>> Mundo Verde.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And Oyster Adams.
>> Oyster Adams.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Working together.
>> Working together.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Presenting together.
>> Presenting together.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: I am
mellow like food coloring.
>> I am mellow like food coloring.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
An original poem.
>> An original poem.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
An original poem.
>> An original poem.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Recited
by the group of students.
>> Recited by the group of students.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
OK, Mundo Verde together
with Oyster Adams, are you ready?
We have to stand up straight
on this one, have big voices,
voces muy grandes,
voces muy bonitas.
Voy a recitar el poema, y ustedes
van a repetir la frase, OK.
¿Listos, listas?
I want to say, you
guys repeat it, OK?
Ready, here we go.
Let's go; I am mellow like
food, and our parents --
I want you to say, I am mellow.
>> I am mellow.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like food coloring.
>> Like food coloring.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
OK, you right, here we go.
Ready? OK.
I am mellow like food coloring.
>> I am mellow like food coloring.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And
mysterious like an atom.
>> And mysterious like an atom.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Ride the rainbow.
>> Ride the rainbow.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I am really curious.
>> I am really curious.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like a butterfly.
>> Like a butterfly.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
When it is born.
>> When it is born.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I am kind and colorful.
>> I am kind and colorful.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like autumn leaves.
>> Like autumn leaves.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Happy birds.
>> Happy birds.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Make a nest.
>> Make a nest.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Make a little nest out,
little birds out, I am a new life.
>> I am a new life.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Bless me.
>> Bless me.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Like
the first rose petal in spring.
>> Like the first rose
petal in spring.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I feel within this leaf.
>> I feel within this leaf.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: I
am filled within this loud.
>> I am filled within this loud.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like mama's boys.
>> Like mama's boys.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
When she sees.
>> When she sees.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Corridos.
>> Corridos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And [inaudible].
>> And [inaudible].
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I'm fast, fast, fast.
>> I'm fast, fast, fast.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I'm fast, fast, fast.
>> I'm fast, fast, fast.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like 100 barbarian sanity.
>> Like 100 barbarian sanity.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Roar.
>> Roar.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I am friendly.
>> I am friendly.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And smiley.
>> And smiley.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like a jump rope.
>> Like a jump rope.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And leases.
>> And leases.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: I
want to swing the rope, OK?
You have to jump, one, two, three.
I am invented.
>> I am invented.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I am invented.
>> I am invented.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And school years.
>> And school years.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like Steve Jobs.
>> Like Steve Jobs.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
With an Apple.
>> With an Apple.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I am everything.
>> I am everything.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I am everything.
>> I am everything.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like the sun.
>> Like the sun.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And moon.
>> And moon.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Como el Sol.
>> Como el Sol.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y la Luna.
>> Y la Luna.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I like everything.
>> I like everything.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
I think like everything.
>> I think I like everything.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Especially.
>> Especially.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: When I am.
>> When I am.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Eating.
>> Eating.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: A.
>> A.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Burrito.
>> Burrito.
And jump up one more time,
jump up one more time,
one more time jump
up; one, two, three.
A big hand for you all,
big hand, muchas gracias.
Thank you.
OK.
[ Music ]
Let's give our volunteers a big one,
let's give them a big
one, thank you, thank you.
Muchas gracias, let's give our
friends a big mano, thanks.
And let's give our
teachers a big mano,
una mano para nuestros
maestros y maestras.
[ Inaudible ]
Este día de los niños
es para todo el mundo,
este día de los niños
es para todo el mundo,
es para todo el mundo este día
[inaudible] este día de los niños es
para todo el mundo.
>> Es para todo el mundo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Este día de los niños.
>> Este día de los niños.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Este día de los niños.
>> Este día de los niños.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Con colores primavera.
>> Con colores primavera.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Con amores de a de veras.
>> Con amores de a de veras.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Este día de los niños.
OK, we will save our
mother mountains.
>> We will save our
mother mountains.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And
dance with all the fountains.
>> And dance with all the fountains.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Say hi from all the peels.
>> Say hi from all the peels.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And
then it's all the campanillos,
that's the new one from
you, con colores primavera.
>> Con colores primavera.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
con amores de a de veras.
>> Con amores de a de veras.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Con amores de a de veras.
[inaudible].
On the day of los niños.
>> On the day of los niños.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: On
this day of our lives' songs.
>> On this day of our lives' songs.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: On
this day no more lonely clouds.
>> On this day no more
lonely clouds.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: On
this day our sun shines strong.
>> On this day our
sun shines strong.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
OK, get ready,
this is going to be tough now.
This is a tough part.
OK, it's a tough part, ready?
It's a tough part, this is
the part where we get ready,
everybody take a big, deep breath.
One more deep breath.
Sing songs, make a comment --
[ Inaudible ]
And peaceful rivers
under night tres.
>> And peaceful rivers
under night trees.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Writing poems.
>> Writing poems.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Like feel the.
>> Like feel the.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Prints.
>> Prints.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And the rich.
>> And the rich.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Coffees.
>> Coffees.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: La tu.
>> La tu.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Rosario Castellanos.
>> Rosario Castellanos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Running like Pele.
>> Running like Pele.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And Serena Williams.
>> And Serena Williams.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Paint you like Picasso.
>> Paint you like Picasso.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Frida Kahlo.
>> Frida Kahlo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And Jose Montoya.
>> And Jose Montoya.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Thanks to you.
>> Thanks to you.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And me.
>> And me.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
By all the trees.
>> Like all the trees.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Running bravos.
>> Running bravos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: But
like Amy Teng [phonetic].
>> But, like Amy Teng.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Sobre mil heartstones.
>> Sobre mil heartstones.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
and Roberto Bolaños.
>> And Roberto Bolaños.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Con colores primavera.
>> Con colores primavera.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Con amores de a de veras.
>> Con amores de a de veras.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Con
santo honor with each other.
>> Con santo honor with each other.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: From
east to west open all the gates.
>> From east to west
open all the gates.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And día
de los niños like the water.
>> And día de los niños
like the water.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Honey, andale you're delayed.
>> Honey, ándale you're delayed.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Este día de los niños.
>> Este día de los niños.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Es para todo el mundo.
>> Es para todo el mundo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Es para todo el mundo.
>> Es para todo el mundo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Este.
>> Este.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Día.
>> Día.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: De los.
>> De los.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
De las manzanitas.
>> De las manzanitas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
De los limoncitos.
>> De los limoncitos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y los guacamoles.
>> Y los guacamoles.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y los pajaritos.
>> Y los pajaritos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y los librotes.
>> Y los librotes.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y mis zapatos.
>> Y mis zapatos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y las ratitas.
>> Y las ratitas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y los pajarotes.
>> Y los pajarotes.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y las guacamayas.
>> Y las guacamayas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Y los Aztecas.
>> Y los Aztecas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Y los Mayas.
>> Y los Mayas.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And Nascar Car.
>> And Nasca Car.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And soccer.
>> And soccer.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And baseball.
>> And baseball.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And soccer.
>> And soccer.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: And soccer.
>> And soccer.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
And baseball.
>> And baseball.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Don't
worry on baseball, that's the ball.
>> That's the ball.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Este día de los niños.
>> Este día de los niños.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Es para todos.
>> Es para todos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Es para todos.
>> Es para todos.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: este día
>> Este día.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: De.
>> De.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Los.
>> Los
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Ni --
Ños.
Ven al coliudo, ven al
coliudo, una mano para ustedes.
How many of you are going to
continue to write and read?
How many of you are going
to go and make tortillas?
And how many of you, ¿Cuantos
de ustedes van a ser voluntarios?
>> Yo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: ¿Y cuantos
de ustedes tienen una voz hermosa?
>> Yo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Quiero
que alcen sus manos, yo.
>> Yo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Tengo.
>> Tengo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Una.
>> Una.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Voz.
>> Voz.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Her.
>> Her.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Mo.
>> Mo.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera: Sa.
>> Sa.
>> Juan Felipe Herrera:
Una mano para ustedes.
Pregunten, hay dos, muchas gracias.
[ Inaudible ]
Ahora vamos a hacer preguntas.
[ Inaudible ]
>> My name is Taca [phonetic]
and I'm from Monte Verde,
and my question is why did
you start writing poems?
>> I started writing poems
on high school, I was 16,
by 20 I was very interested
in sentences, in how to play
with sentences, change
the word arounds
to make a more effective
sentence, and el puede,
and then I'm very proud
the formative school, I --
Manuel Comicon [phonetic]
and play with words,
so that was very important with
me, to listen to her and to sing
with her, and to get to
love language and Latin,
and I'm a thinker I love to play
with language and sentences,
and line.
Good question, thank you.
Another pregunta, ¿Otra pregunta?
>> Do you like having --
bring children happiness?
>> Bring children happenings?
That's one of my main things,
one of my main goals is
to bring children happiness, I
can feel that extremely and fort,
and life goes -- that's why
I'm a writer and a poet,
is to bring you happiness
with my art,
and by meeting you
and encouraging you.
Yes, good question, thank you.
>> And how are you excited to say?
How are you inspired
to do -- they can sing.
>> I am inspired, I'm
always inspired,
because I love human beings, and
I love nature, and I love animals.
So, I'm always moved, I always
feel many things for human beings,
and for animals, and for nature; and
when trees are cut down, I feel bad.
So, I want to write for a tree.
When an animal is happy, and
clean, and funky I'm very happy.
And when a human being like
yourself, asks me great questions,
I'm happy, because I see
that they're fully
alive and feeling good.
And that inspires me, because
I want to be as smart of you.
Good question.
>> Do you have a favorite poem?
>> Do I have a favorite poem?
One of my favorite poems is
from a Spanish poet called
Federico Garcia Lorca,
igual hay poco poets en New
York, and he has a section
in a phone call, Lamento
para Ignacio [inaudible],
he has a call for bull fighters,
it's a very beautiful poems,
it's one of my favorite poems.
Thank you.
And so, I'll be 40,
but I feel of eight.
Another one.
>> My name is Kyler [phonetic]
and I'm from Monte Verde
and I would just like to
know what did you feel
when you wrote your poems?
>> What did I feel?
Es a feeling like an
ego, I feel like an ego.
You're very open, you're in the sky,
you're just going through the sky,
your contact with nature,
very open and clean,
I feel very clean and happy.
Beautiful, yes.
That's when the dancing, on your
brain festival, or when you're
out of verses and you camp
around that tree, and love it.
That's what I do.
Thank you.
>> What was the first book?
>> My first book?
My first book was a bilingual
book in Spanish and Ingles,
los inventos -- we have a lot
of languages, we speak English,
we speak Spanish, and we speak
the way we speak at home.
So, I wanted to give value to
as many languages as possible,
it's called Rebosos of Love,
that's what it's called.
[ Inaudible ]
What is the name of my mom?
>> Why do you go to school?
>> Go to school?
Pues, mi amigo eres tú,
pues mi amigo eres tú.
>> How do you like to go to school?
>> I -- yes, I like school, let's
see, my father took me to school,
and he took me on a big, old Army
truck, and right in that book,
I say that boy, and then he just
ported to the school like this,
he opened the door with [inaudible],
"Me gusta tu escuela", "Pero, where?
I don't know, but OK, es una
escuela", "Ese edificio", OK.
So, I open the door and close it,
I closet the door, and then I got
over to my big lunch break, and
what was the time of my lunch break?
A tortilla wrapped up, and a
burrito, mucha salsa burrito,
dos papas pues -- So, my father tell
you, "Just go to that building",
I didn't know where the school was.
So, I had to be brave, I had to be
brave, and I want you to be brave
when you're in school
with your ideas.
Yes, OK. One more question.
>> Do you draw or paint?
>> Wait, draw?
I do. I love, love, love to draw,
and I love, love, love to paint.
And I'm drawing in iPad these
days which is kind of fun,
and I have little books, little
books where there are a lot
of drawings, and poems
all on the same page.
So, do you like that too?
Isn't that great?
How many of you like to draw too,
and how many of you like music,
and how many like painting,
and how many like languages?
And how many love languages,
and painting, and music?
You did OK.
Let's give you another big mano
for beautiful, beautiful voices.
>> Let's thank Juan Felipe.
Thank you.
Let's give him a hand.
>> This has been a
presentation of the Library
of Congress, visit us at loc.gov.