Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
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- 14,99 €
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- 14,99 €
Publisher Description
RECIPIENT OF THE PURA BELPRÉ HONOR
* A Today Show's Best Kids' Books of 2019 * Indie Next List Pick * Junior Library Guild Selection *
“An appealing tribute and successful remedy to the lack of titles about the groundbreaking librarian...a must-have for all libraries.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
An inspiring picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature.
When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpré carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy.
Brought to colorful life by Paola Escobar’s elegant and exuberant illustrations and Anika Aldamuy Denise’s lyrical text, this gorgeous book is perfect for the pioneers in your life.
Informative backmatter and suggested further reading included.
A Spanish-language edition, Sembrando historias: Pura Belpré: bibliotecaria y narradora de cuentos, is also available.
“Anika Aldamuy Denise’s intimate telling captures the magical, folk-tale feeling of Belpré’s own stories. Her lyrical text, sprinkled like fairy dust with Spanish words, begs to be read aloud, while Paola Escobar’s stylishly detailed and warmly expressive illustrations capture the joy of sharing stories.” —New York Times Book Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Readers may know Pura Belpr as the name of an award given to books about the Latin American cultural experience. But who was Belpr herself? Denise (Starring Carmen!) celebrates the first Latina New York City librarian, born in 1899, who seeds the folktales of her native Puerto Rico in her new home. As a library assistant, Belpr makes puppets to enhance her storytelling performances, which introduce the elegant cockroach Martina, the dashing mouse P rez, and other beloved characters from Puerto Rican folklore, then goes on to publish the tales for wider distribution. Colombian illustrator Escobar represents the biography's central image of "planting" story seeds in detailed, retro-style spreads with flowers that float around Belpre as she weaves her tales ("Her eyes dance! Her voice sings!"). Sepia tones contribute a feeling of age and a sense of warmth. Denise plants an idea of her own that telling stories is a crucial activity for keeping culture alive. Ages 4 8. Author's)