La velita de los cuentos - The Storytellers Candle, Del Sol Books

Pura Belpre Award Honor Book in 2009 for Narrative
Pura Belpre Award Honor Book in 2009 for Illustration
2009 Jane Addams Children's Book Award, Honor Book
2009 Américas Award, Honor
2009 ALA Notable Book
2009 Skipping Stones Honor Award
2009 International Latino Book Awards, Honorable Mention
2008 ForeWord Book of the Year Award, Finalist

The winter of 1929 feels especially cold to cousins Hildamar and Santiago - they arrived in New York City from sunny Puerto Rico only months before. Their island home feels very far away indeed, especially with Three Kings' Day rapidly approaching. But then a magical thing happened. A visitor appears in their class, a gifted storyteller and librarian by the name of Pura Belpré. She opens the children's eyes to the public library and its potential to be the living, breathing heart of the community. The library, after all, belongs to everyone - whether you speak Spanish, English, or both. Award-winners Lúcia González and Lulu Delacre have crafted an affecting homage to Pura Belpré, New York City's first Latina librarian. Through her vision and dedication, the warmth of Puerto Rico came to the island of Manhattan in a most unexpected way. Author Lucía González will be donating her royalties to the ALA Pura Belpré Award Endowment.

Listen to Vienna Rose read The Storytellers Candle to you. A marvelous example of the magical encounter between a child and books that we wish for all children.

“...this warmhearted Spanish/English bilingual story adopts the perspective of two children who are inspired by Belpré to enter a library for the very first time… With this simple and affectionate story, González and Delacre...broadcast Belpré’s welcome message to new generations of immigrants: ‘Remember, the library belongs to you all...” —Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“The well-written text is presented in both Spanish and English. The illustrations were created with layers of oil washes and collage. Tantalizing bits of the New York Times from that date are embedded in the artwork, giving hints of the larger world-steamship arrivals, theater reviews, and even an account of Three Kings' Day in San Juan. Sepia tones evoke the time period and the setting. A lovely offering about the role of librarians in the lives of children.” —School Library Journal

“[González’s] text is charming and so filled with the voices of her characters that one gets a rich sense of community, and most of all, of Pura Belpré.” —ForeWord

“This wonderful mini-biography introduces readers to a true literary hero, the first Latina librarian in the New York Public Library system.” —MultiCultural Review

“Both the English and Spanish narratives have considerable flow and propulsion, which make the book a perfect fit for storytimes, especially during the holiday season. A sound addition for most public and school library collections.” —Críticas Magazine

“This is a warm, winning introduction to the work of the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York, whose name was given to the American Librarian Association's annual award that honors Latino authors and illustrators.” —Booklist