Juan Felipe Herrera is a poet, performance artist, and activist. The son of migrant farm workers, he was the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015–2017. Herrera has published more than a dozen collections of poetry, in addition to short stories, young adult novels, and children’s literature. Juan Felipe Herrera lives in California.
Using the made-up words of Carroll's Jabberwocky as a jumping-off point, former U.S. poet laureate Herrera shows children how riotous verbal exuberance births poetry...Poetry manuals can make students roll their eyes, but this one may open their hearts. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) In the right hands, all the wacky assignments and Herrera's autobiographical Jabber Notebook entries will ultimately spawn incandescent thinkers who will leap to the flamey / Stars! --or so Herrera hopes. An uncommon DIY for exuberant rule breakers. --Kirkus Reviews Including several biographical vignettes (some recalling encouragement from his mother) and frequent black-line cartoons, this book may be the best opportunity most of us will ever have to experiencing a Herrera presentation. And although the casual preteen browser may be left confused, in the hands of a gifted educator, this book has the potential to inspire and encourage young writers. --Booklist