Book Review of Pura Belpre honor: Planting stories : the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpre

 


"I wished to be like Johnny Appleseed, who in the United States was known for planting apple seeds across the land... And so I wished to plant my story seeds across the land." 

Summary:

Pura Belpre' traveled to New York City from her home in Puerto Rico in 1921. She found opportunity to tell stories when she joined the New York City public library as a bilingual assistant, but was disappointed to find that there were no written stories or books from her home in Puerto Rico. So she decided to write some. This book goes on to follow the trajectory of Pura Belpre's life and her influence on literacy and social change.

Criteria:

A picture book about Pura Belpre' received the Pura Belpre honor in 2020. It was originally published in 2019 and I had not read it previously.

Review:

Theme

Plot/ Narrative
I learned about a very important figure in our multicultural literacy. As a white woman, I grew up with plenty of representation in my literature and entertainment. I am seeing more and more cultures represented in literature now, but those of us who haven't had to consider how this came to be don't know or recognize some of these critical pioneers of literacy. More than my opinions challenged, I feel that my world view was broadened to realize that other cultures have to struggle and work for representation much more than I.

Point of View
Pura Belpre' not only addressed literacy but representation, both subjects growing closer and closer to me as I continue my studies.  She loved the stories of her homeland and not only longed to see them brought to the states, she did something about it. This is one of several books about important figures that shows that people who make a difference in their communities do not allow obstacles to be road blocks but rather use them as stepping stones.

Illustrations
I loved all of it. The illustrations were a beautiful reflection of the picture the words created. Paolo Escobar used colors and drawings to reflect not only the adventurous and determined spirit of Pura Belpre but the era that Pura Belpre The story itself was told well and was inspiring. 

Denise, A., & Escobar, P. (2021). Planting stories: The life of librarian and Storyteller Pura belpré. Scholastic Inc. 

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