Review by Booklist Review
Inspired by a real-life traveling librarian (also depicted in Jeanette Winter's Biblioburro, 2010), this is the fictionalized story of a child visited by a humble Columbian biblioburro. Ana's life consists of helping her parents and reading the one book she received from a teacher who has since departed, leaving her rural community without a school. For stories, Ana draws upon her rich imagination until the arrival of the librarian and his two book-toting donkeys. On his next long-awaited visit, when the librarian is presented with his own story written by Ana, we see that it is the same story as the book we're reading. The charming, primitive-style acrylic illustrations in muted tones on textured board have a folk-art quality and convey the rustic lifestyle of Ana and her community. The final page includes a brief afterword and a glossary of Spanish terms, which are sprinkled throughout the text. Heather Henson's That Book Woman (2008) and Gloria Houston's Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile (2011) provide interesting contrasts and comparisons.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Brown (Side by Side/Lado a lado) and Parra (Gracias/Thanks) gently portray a lifestyle 180 degrees from modern, technology-centric schooling. In rural Colombia, "Ana bathes her little brother and feeds the goats and collects the eggs to sell at the market," all the time longing to be back in her house reading her one and only book. The arrival of a librarian riding a burro brings more books and inspires Ana to write a book of her own. The traveling librarian and his donkeys, Alfa and Beto, are based on a real Colombian biblioburro, also the subject of Jeanette Winter's Biblioburro (2010). Parra's naive-styled acrylics brim with scenes of country life. A palette of salmon pinks and turquoise and sky blues, painted on board, give the book a rough-hewn, handmade quality and an innocent, childlike appeal (with her wide face, delicate features, and rouged cheeks, Ana even resembles a porcelain doll). In a metafictional ending, readers will notice that the book Ana hands the bibliotecario upon his return is this very book-fitting, as this truly is Ana's story. Ages 4-6. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K- The pleasure and love of reading are joyfully brought forth in this simple, happily rendered tale. Inspired by the work of real-life librarian Luis Soriano Bohorquez, who takes his mobile library into the small villages and rural countryside of Colombia, this story features young Ana. She loves to read, but because her teacher moved away some time ago, she has just one book. Nevertheless, she enjoys it again and again, reading it to her younger brother while also entertaining him with fantastical stories of her own making. Then one exciting day, the Biblioburro stops in her village. The traveling librarian, carrying books on his burros Alfa and Beto, not only leaves books for her but also encourages her to use her vivid imagination to create tales of her own. When he returns some weeks later, Ana presents him with her finished book, which features the two burros. That night she sinks into bed knowing her story will be shared with other children when the Biblioburro arrives in their villages. Brown's tale flows well, and Parra's folkloric-style illustrations are nicely in tune with the book's setting, adding appropriate flavor to the storytelling.-Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
"Ana has read her book, her only book, so many times she knows it by heart." The resourceful girl has also been making up cuentos for her little brother ever since the teacher left her remote village; still, the unexpected arrival of a librarian riding a burro, bringing stories to tell and books to share, is a joyful event. Impatiently awaiting the bibliotecario's next visit, Ana reads avidly, draws, and writes, finally creating her own book. This sample of the impact of traveling librarians on rural children, inspired by a Colombian teacher-librarian, not only celebrates their work but eloquently portrays a matchless way to inspire learning: by feeding the natural hunger for story. Parra's decoratively stylized acrylic scenes portray a sunny, orderly village with adults at work while cheerful children take responsibility for tasks, yet still have time for imaginative play, eager reading, and listening. Small, brown-faced Ana's enthusiasm is contagious, and the satisfying denouement, in which she donates her homemade book to the traveling collection, is just right. Spanish words (defined in context and in a glossary) add a useful dimension, as does an author's note. joanna rudge long (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Inspired by Colombian librarian Luis Soriano Bohrquez, Brown's latest tells of a little girl whose wish comes true when a librarian and two book-laden burros visit her remote village.Ana loves to read and spends all of her free time either reading alone or to her younger brother. She knows every word of the one book she owns. Although she uses her imagination to create fantastical bedtime tales for her brother, she really wants new books to read. Everything changes when a traveling librarian and his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto, arrive in the village. Besides loaning books to the children until his next visit, the unnamed man also reads them stories and teaches the younger children the alphabet. When Ana suggests that someone write a book about the traveling library, he encourages her to complete this task herself. After she reads her library books, Ana writes her own story for the librarian and gives it to him upon his reappearanceand he makes it part of his biblioburro collection. Parra's colorful folk-style illustrations of acrylics on board bring Ana's real and imaginary worlds to life. This is a child-centered complement to Jeanette Winter'sBiblioburro(2010), which focuses on Soriano.The book is perfect for read-alouds, with occasional, often onomatopoeic Spanish words such as "quiquiriqu," "tacatac" and "iii-aah" adding to the fun. (author's note, glossary of Spanish terms)(Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
