Who Was Pura Belpré?
When I read the Pura Belpré Award Manual, available from the Award site, I discovered that- “As a children’s librarian, storyteller, puppeteer and distinguished author, she delighted children and adults with stories in a career that spanned over sixty years….Pura Belpré captured the charm and spirit of her homeland in her children’s books and in her performances….She enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the USA through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore. She died in 1982.”
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos: Overview
What The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos does is demonstrate Pura Belpré's positive influence by focusing on the story of how she impacted one Puerto Rican immigrant family, and their community of friends and neighbors, by welcoming them to the library and providing them with experiences that both helped them adjust to their new country and kept their Puerto Rican cultural traditions alive. The story is set in the early part of the Depression (1929-1935) when large numbers of Puerto Ricans immigrated to New York City.The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos: Overview
After the warmth of Puerto Rico, Hildamar and her cousin Santiago find the harsh winter weather in New York City an unwelcome surprise. At the dinner table, the family talks about everything they miss: the foods, the neighbors and the celebrations, particularly El Dia de los Reyes, Three Kings’ Day. Hildamar wonders, “Do the Kings travel this far?”The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos: The Story
Although they pass the public library every day on the way to school, the children have never entered the building because, as their mother explains, “We don’t speak English and the people in there don’t speak Spanish.” Imagine the children's delight when a librarian who speaks Spanish and tells them storie in English and Spanish visits their school and invites all the students to visit the library during winter break.Hildamar and Santiago are so excited that they tell their family, friends and neighbors about Pura Belpré’s invitation. On Saturday, a group of them visit the library for the first time. Pura Belpré lights her storyteller’s candle and tells stories from Puerto Rico in English and Spanish. Not only that, she also tells them that the library is going to have its own fiesta in honor of El Dia de los Reyes, Three Kings’ Day.
The children, their families, and then, their community become happily involved in preparing for the fiesta, which is to include a play, dances, and a parade. The event is a big success, for, as Pura Belpré says, "Today, with everyone’s help, we brought the warmth and beauty of Puerto Rico to New York City. Remember, the library belongs to you all.”
The paintings by Lulu Delacre, which illustrate the book, include collage elements from the January 6, 1930 edition of the New York Times and sepia tones to mute the colors in order to set the time period of the story. Each painting brims with activity and details.
A note at the end of the book points out that, “On many pages, the bits of newspaper contain information that relates to the story on that page. For example, on page 3, the artwork contains pieces of a timetable table of new arrivals into Manhattan by steamship.” Older children may find this particularly appealing and want to go back and carefully examine the illustrations for more information about the time period.
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos: The Author and Illustrator
Author Lucía González’s The Bossy Gallito/El Gallo de Bodas: A Traditional Cuban Folktale was designated a Pura Belpré Honor Book in 1996. González is also the author of Senor Cat's Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America. Born in Cuba, González lived in in Venezuela after college and now resides in Miami, Florida. Like Pura Belpré, she is a librarian and an author and dedicated to preserving and sharing the traditional folktales of her youth. In an interview with author Cynthia Leitich Smith, González reveals,- ” I've always been fascinated by the folktales of other countries. It was while living in Venezuela that I came up with the idea that would lead to my books for children: I realized that many of the folktales, children's folk songs and games there were similar to the ones I had grown up with, with only slight variations.”
- ”I would say that what is important for Latino families raising children in the US is that they keep ties to their countries and cultural heritage through story. Children that listen to their parents' stories about their folklore and traditions are more likely to develop strong identities.”
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos: My Recommendation
I recommend The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos for children 6-12. The book contains more text than most picture books for younger children. The Storyteller's Candle is well-told and illustrated and can be enjoyed a simple story about a real person, as well as helping to shine a light on aspects of the immigrant experience. However, I think it will be particulary effective when shared in a classroom setting as a read-aloud when the students are learning about the Pura Belpré Award winners and wondering, “Who was Pura Belpré?” and in foreign language and ESL /ESOL classes. (Children's Book Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780892392223)
