Jeanette Winter,
Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia
Beach Lane Books, 2010.

Ages 3-7

Luis loves books. He loves them so much, he figures out a way to share his passion with people living in rural areas of Colombia. Loading books into crates he’s built for the backs of two burros, Alfa and Beto, Luis creates a “Biblioburro” – The Burro Library. Every week Luis and his Biblioburro travel “across the countryside to faraway villages in the lonely hills.” The trips are long, lonely, and sometimes dangerous, but once he arrives at his destination, Luis insists on reading aloud to the children who gather before they choose books to borrow. An author’s note tells of the real Luis Soriana, who has delivered books by burro to remote Colombian villages since 2000. Acrylic paint with pen and ink illustrations depict Luis’s weekly expeditions with lush colors and inviting detail.

Megan Schliesman
November 2010