The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos (English and Spanish Edition)

Perfect for three kings day

Wonderful story and super gift for my bilingual friend's child. Ms Gonzalez has the lovely gift of spinning a story that keeps us all enthralled.

Super cute!

Inspiring!

Wonderful bilingual (Spanish/English) book to read to children.

great book!

The book starts with an introduction that gives readers some of the historical and biographical context of the work, describing the influx of Puerto Rican immigrants to New York City during the years of the Great Depression (1929-1935). Many Puerto Ricans lived in a neighborhood of Manhattan known as El Barrio:Winter was harsh for the people of El Barrio. This was when they most missed their island’s tropical warmth. But during this time something wonderful happened. A talented storyteller named Pura Belpré was hired to work as the first Puerto Rican librarian in the New York Public Library system. Through her work, her stories, and her books, Pura Belpre brought the warmth and beauty of Puerto Rico to the children in El Barrio.This story reminds us not only of the inspirational Hispanic-American figures of the past, but also of the moving power of literature to bring us back to a different time, a different place, and, ultimately, a lasting heritage.The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos, best for grades kindergarten and up, is a bilingual book, showing the text in English and then in Spanish. The English text is also peppered with some Spanish words throughout: “I remember the parrandas and aguinaldos, when family and neighbors came to visit, sing, dance, and eat!” At the back of the book, the author has included a Glossary of Terms to help readers understand the Spanish vocabulary and the cultural references. For example, a parranda is “when a group of friends gathers together to asaltar, or surprise, another friend.”The story begins with the two protagonists, Hildamar, and her cousin, Santiago, two Puerto-Rican children who arrived to New York City with their families a few months earlier on El Ponce, a large ship. It is wintertime in New York and neither of them is accustomed to the cold. Seated around the dinner table, their family discusses plans for El Día de los Reyes, reminiscing about all of the yuletide traditions back home in Puerto Rico. El Día de los Reyes is celebrated on January 6th, the 12th day of Christmas, in most parts of Latin America and Spain.The next day Hildamar, Santiago, and Titi Maria pass by “a tall building with windows that seem to invite them inside.” The building is the New York City Public Library. The children are inquisitive, but Titi Maria reminds them that they don’t speak English, and the people at the library don’t speak Spanish: “And so it was such that they never went inside.” Here, the story sets up a social divide, a cultural and linguistic dissonance, which a new protagonist, and a turn of events, will eventually help mend.One day, a special guest comes to Hildamar’s elementary school class. Her name is Pura Belpré and she comes from the public library. Ms. Belpré tells stories with puppets to the children, in English and in Spanish. Not only does this scene illustrate Belpré’s renowned community engagement and service, but it also highlights some pedagogical techniques that we have also previously featured in some of our educator’s workshops that we’ve held here in Albuquerque. Interactive puppet shows, as utilized by Pura Belpré, can be very useful for language-learning, and can help children learn new words by observing the context. Later on, Ms. Belpré invites everyone to come visit the public library. In the process, she serves as an intercultural mediator for the Puerto Rican community.As the story progresses, readers will learn more about how Belpré engaged with the Puerto Rican community, and especially inspired young Puerto Rican children to become involved, learn new things, and let their imaginations soar. In particular, Ms. Belpré encourages Hildamar and Santiago to participate in a community play to celebrate El Día de los Reyes. Everyone participates and contributes to making the stage, the costumes, or rehearsing lines for their part.As the library community and the Puerto Rican community together to plan and prepare for their play, readers will observe, in greater detail, the yuletide traditions of Puerto Rico culture. Thus, this book would be perfect for classroom lessons on important Hispanic-American figures, including Pura Belpré, and the values associated with community service, as well as lessons on winter celebrations and holidays, and the different ways in which these holidays are celebrated across the Americas. If you choose to use this book for the latter, you may want to also check out my review from last year on Feliz Navidad, which talks in particular about the different seasonal associations between Christmas in the U.S. and Christmas in Puerto Rico.Finally, on the day of the play, “the reading room had become an island in the Caribbean.” This imagery not only exemplifies, in a more literal sense, the work and innovation that the community dedicated to decorating and setting the stage, but also, in a more metaphorical sense, the emotive power of literature to bring us back to a familiar place, or to journey us through to a different world. Pura Belpre built metaphorical bridges, unified communities, and opened minds to the wonderful world of books.For the full review, visit teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com

This book is really interesting. I really liked the fact that the book is written in english and spanish on the pages becuase you don't really find that very often in young children's books. The images in the book are very realistic and help tell the story of events that took place in El Barrio. The story revolves around a family who are remembering things from their culture and wish that they could go to the library. They soon start working together to put on a fiesta for Three King's Day at the library when the young children spread the word that the library welcomes people who speak spanish. The story tells about Pura Belpre and how she was involved in storytelling and about her life. The book tells the reader about Pura Belpre's involvement in letting others know that the public library is for everyone not just a few people. Working together the fiesta is a success with everyone bringing something new to a different city.