The Storyteller's Candle

 The Storyteller’s Candle    Lucia Gonzelez

Children’s Book Press. San Fransisco. (2008). 32p., ISBN-13: 987-0-89239-222-3, $16.95 hardcover

  

Target Audience:

Ages 7-12, possibly older

  

Synopsis/Characters:

Hildamar, her brother Santiago and their family, Pura Belpre, Residents of El Bario

Hildamar and Santiago are thrilled when they meet Pura Belpre at their new school.  They are new to the U.S. and are not used to the harsh winter and English language after leaving Puerto Rico.  Ms Belpre is the librarian at the New York Public Library branch in El Bario and she speaks Spanish! 

Miss Belpre hosts a Three Kings Festival at the library and invites anyone who would like to come, has a feast and a play, and shows the residents that the library is for everyone, English speakers, Spanish speakers and those who speak both!

  

What stands out:

This is a lovely book about the first Puerto Rican librarian for the New York Public Library. It is a true story that takes place during the Great Depression.  The pictures are rich and have newsprint from the time as part of each page.  If one looks closely, the newspaper tells information about the time and what is going on then.  There is an introduction that sets the stage for the story and more great information on the end paper of the book.  Not and inch is wasted!

The other wonderful part of this book is that it is written in both English and Spanish.  The text is presented in both ways on each page.

  

Notes for fellow SLMS or classroom teachers:

 This is a wonderful book to use as a read aloud.  It could easily be used in any Spanish or history class, no matter the level.  It offers a good look into how people felt as immigrants and the isolation that can be present even within a close community.  It is certainly appropriate for younger students.

  

Would you recommend the book to: classroom teachers, students, classmates, parents?

Yes – a super introduction to historical fiction in a very accessible way.  I enjoyed looking at the Spanish text after reading the English (I don’t speak Spanish) and trying to figure out how they aligned. The art is wonderful and warm and the addition of the newsprint is not distracting (I noticed it well into the book) but clever and meaningful.