Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and

Storyteller Pura Belpre

Genre:

    Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre is a biographical picture book from 2019.

Target Age Group:

    The target age group is 4-8 years.

Summary:

    The picture book Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre is the intriguing and inspiring story of the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City. Pura travels alone from Puerto Rico in search of a dream and a promise of a better life. Once she is in New York, she finds a job as a library assistant and discovers a need for new cuentos (stories) that will offer a more diverse assortment of children's books and decides to "plant her seeds throughout the land."

Justification:

    I had never heard of Pura Belpre before and I became fascinated with her story when I found out she was the first Latina to work as a librarian for the New York Public Library. Her resiliency and perseverance to write and publish inclusive stories at a time when it was unheard of is awe-inspiring.

Evaluation:

    For this review I will be evaluating character, language, and illustrations. Pura Belpre's character is presented to the young reader as someone who is adventurous and fearless. She was a woman who was determined to tell the stories of her homeland, at first, to the people of New York. Whether it was by using puppets or having the stories accompanied by music from her husband, Pura traveled to many communities across the United States unabashedly filled with the desire that these stories were to be told to as many children as possible. 

    Ms. Denise certainly utilizes descriptive language to reinforce the stories Pura Belpre was intent on writing and sharing. The words plant and grow repeated throughout the story portray Pura as a "gardener" that uses English and Spanish to encourage the young readers to seek out stories that are culturally diverse. This book offers a teacher, parent, or caregiver the opportunity to teach a few simple Spanish words to the readers transfixed by her story.

    The muted but lovely colors used in the illustrations of New York City by Paola Escobar show this city at its best. The young reader will be able to feel the warmth of Pura's story time with the soft blues, browns, and reds and anticipate the adventure that is about to unfold in the confines of the library. It was clever how Ms. Escobar drew trees to symbolize the books that will be sowed from the "seeds" that have been planted by Pura. The lively and animated puppets also help create an atmosphere where the young reader may be enticed to enter Pura's authentic magical world of puppets and books.

Citation:

Denise, A. A. (2019). Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre (P. Escobar, Illus.). HarperCollins Publishers.