Waiting for the Biblioburro/Esperando el Biblioburro
A remarkable tale of books and reading, now in a bilingual Spanish-English edition.
On most days, teacher and librarian Luis Soriano Bohórquez packs his two burros, Alfa and Beto, with books and makes his way over mountains and through valleys to visit children in far-flung villages in rural Colombia—all for the sake of literacy and culture. Based on the work of a remarkable man and his intrepid burros, this bilingual English and Spanish edition celebrates the impact that a special mobile library—called the “biblioburro”—has had on the lives of real children.
About the author:
Monica Brown’s Peruvian American heritage has inspired in her a desire to share Latino stories with children. Her books have garnered starred reviews, the Américas Award, two Pura Belpré Author Honors, and the prestigious Rockefeller Fellowship on Chicano Cultural Literacy. Monica is currently Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in U.S. Latino and Multicultural Literature. Visit her at monicabrown.net.
An Excerpt fromWaiting for the Biblioburro/Esperando el Biblioburro
”Who are you? Who are they?” the children ask.
The man says, “I am a librarian, a bibliotecario, and these are my donkeys, Alfa and Beto. Welcome to Biblioburro, my biblioteca.”
“But, Señor,” Ana says, “I thought libraries were only in big cities and buildings.”
“Not this one,” says the librarian. “This is a moving library.”
Then he spreads out his books and invites the children to join him under a tree.