Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

Written and Illustrated by: Jeanette Winter

Elementary Grades

"One person can make a difference, and in this book Luis Soriano makes all the difference in the world. A Colombian schoolteacher with a passion for reading, he had so many books in his house that he decided to take them to children high up in the mountains where no libraries existed. With the help of two burros, Soriano made the mountainous trek each weekend to spread literacy where it was desperately needed. Winter has a gift for creating nonfiction that is accessible to and appeals to very young readers."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://elbiblioburro.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTswmx9TQU
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/25/cnnheroes.soriano/index.html

My Name is Gabito

My Name is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo Gabito: la vida de Gabriel García Márquez

Written by :Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Raúl Colón

Elementary Grades

"This luminous picture book describes the Colombian author's childhood and influences. Brown does a wonderful job of articulating García Márquez's complex literary style (called magical realism) in a way youngsters can grasp. Even better, she shows how his imagination was nurtured and encouraged from a very early age by the things around him."

School Library Journal

Pura Belpre Award for illustration, 2008

Web Resources:
http://www.monicabrown.net/books/index.html