A vibrant collection of poems is in the voice of Sadie, a Dominican American girl who wants to be a poet, “the coolest job in the world.” Sadie lives with her mother and little sister in Harlem. Each poem offers Sadie’s thoughts on a different aspect of her life, from the reassurance of “My mother and father are not together anymore / but they are good friends” (from “Mami and Pop Are Good Friends”), to the delight of the “Giggle Jar,” to the joy of “Dancing Merengue with Mami.” The fictional Sadie and her loving family convey a joy and appreciation for life that are echoed in the blithe, spirited feel of the illustrations in this upbeat volume. (Ages 5–9)

My name is Sadie
and I live in Harlem
with my mother
and my little sister, Julie.
Sadie likes living in her grandmother’s brownstone, where she has her own bedroom and a backyard to play in. She’s full of thoughts and has lots to say about her family and friends, her home, her hair, and her laughing feet that can’t keep still. And when she grows up she plans on being a poet.
This collection of sixteen exuberant poems in the voice of a young Dominican American girl and energetic, bright paintings celebrates Sadie’s family and the city around her.

My Feet Are Laughing is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.