A Poem Can Do Anything
Imaginative First Children’s Book Wins Award
In this playful story forthcoming May 31, 2025, Jovi de la Jara describes all the things a poem can do, like: “Puppies can be / planets / and flowers / can be kittens” and “the moon can be / square / and rain can be / laughter.” Simple text describes the endless possibilities available in writing poetry; words can rhyme, run off the page or even be invented! Poems can be very long or super short. The author’s fun black-and-white illustrations cleverly depict the humorous ideas: a dog’s face looks like a planet with a ring around it, flowers sprout cat faces and a cloud cries laughter. This entertaining book for ages 4-8 is perfect for sharing the joy of writing poetry with young readers.
Established in 2022, this award seeks to stimulate the work begun by Arte Público Press and its imprint, Piñata Books, which is dedicated to the publication of children’s and young adult literature that realistically portrays themes, characters and customs unique to US Hispanic culture. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, just 379 of the 3,203 children’s books it received that were published in the United States in 2023 were written by Latinos; only 291 were about Latinos.
Diversity statistics for 2024 are not yet available. In addition to the publication of the book and royalties from sales, de la Jara will receive a $5,000 prize. Funding for the award was provided by long-time Arte Público Press supporters and University of Houston professors Dr. Augustina “Tina” Reyes and her recently deceased husband, Dr. Michael Olivas. Submissions are accepted year-round.
Jovi de la Jara was born in the south of Chile but lives in Houston where he is completing his PhD in Creative Writing in Spanish at the University of Houston. ¿Qué es un poema? / What Is a Poem? is his first book for children.
Arte Público Press is the nation’s largest and most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by US Hispanic authors. Its imprint for children and young adults, Piñata Books, is dedicated to the authentic portrayal of the themes, languages, characters and customs of Hispanic culture in the United States. Books published under the imprint serve as a bridge from home to school to support family literacy and elementary school education. Based at the University of Houston, Arte Público Press, Piñata Books and the Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage project provide the most widely recognized and extensive showcase for Hispanic literary arts and creativity. For more information, please visit www.artepublicopress.com.
