Denise, A. (2019). Planting Stories. HarperCollins.
Summary
Some people are born with storytelling in their hearts. Pura Belpre had this gift. In her home of Puerto Rico, Pura's abuela would tell stories under a tree, and when she came to New York, she brought that love with her. With her culture sprinkled throughout, this story tells the tale of Pura's journey from Puerto Rico to New York, and how she became the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City. It celebrates the impact her stories had on the children and patrons who visited and heard her stories.
A Teacher's Perspective
The beautiful illustrations in this book were breathtaking. As with the title, Planting Stories, Pura plants seeds of imagination within whomever hears her stories. This celebration of her life is beautifully written. I especially love the Spanish words that are sprinkled throughout, just enough that you understand her love of her culture, but not too much that it makes it unreadable for younger children.
I highly recommend this for a culture study with younger children, or as an introductory lesson in a library. It's the love of storytelling that really pulls me in, and hopefully plants the seeds in those who read it.
Want to know more?
To purchase your own copy of Planting Stories: Click here!
This read-along storytime is from We Are Teachers and done by the author!!
To learn more about Pura Belpre:
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