The Storyteller's Candle / La Velita de Los Cuentos

Pura Belpr Author Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA)
Pura Belpr Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA)

Bilingual English/Spanish. A bilingual biography of Pura Belpr , New York City's first Latina librarian.

The winter of 1929 feels especially cold to cousins Hildamar and Santiago--they arrived in New York City from sunny Puerto Rico only months before. Their island home feels very far away indeed, especially with Three Kings' Day rapidly approaching. But then a magical thing happened. A visitor appears in their class, a gifted storyteller and librarian by the name of Pura Belpr . She opens the children's eyes to the public library and its potential to be the living, breathing heart of the community. The library, after all, belongs to everyone--whether you speak Spanish, English, or both.

The award-winning team of Luc a Gonz lez and Lulu Delacre have crafted an homage to Pura Belpr , New York City's first Latina librarian. Through her vision and dedication, the warmth of Puerto Rico came to the island of Manhattan in a most unexpected way.