(2) K-3 Illustrated by Magaly Morales. "Pura Belpré always knew that many stories worth telling aren't in books" is the lingering message of this picture-book biography. Growing up in Puerto Rico, Belpré listened as her abuela told vivid cuentos that elicited "giggles...shivers...sighs," reactions later mirrored by the enthralled library audiences with whom Pura shared those same folk stories. Belpré began library work in Harlem among a growing Spanish-speaking diaspora, at a time when the library lacked both staff to communicate in their patrons' language and books to reinforce a connection. Recognizing how the rigid traditions of storytime limited her ability to promote culturally relevant stories--stories shared had to be read from a book--Belpré proposed her own oral storytelling practice to the library "bosses" (all depicted as white). Eventually she published those stories and devoted herself to reaching the public beyond library walls, paving the way for practices of modern librarianship. Pimentel (Girl Running, rev. 3/18) captures Belpré's dazzling storytelling ("She hisses...murmurs...roars") through text that carries a soft rhythm apt for reading aloud. Morales's (A Piñata in a Pine Tree, rev. 11/09) digital images feature a bright and distinct color palette and illustrate Pura's liveliness through dynamic perspectives and expressive gestures. Deftly incorporated details throughout the art, including a coqui and characters such as Pérez and Martina, evoke Belpré's childhood influences and culture. An author's note, a source list, and a selected bibliography are appended. Pair with González and Delacre's The Storyteller's Candle and Denise and Escobar's Planting Stories (rev. 1/19).

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Paola Escobar. As a bilingual assistant at Nueva York's public library in 1921, Pura Belpré retells the folk stories of her native Puerto Rico at storytimes and eventually writes them down for publication. Descriptive language moves between English and Spanish seamlessly. Both text and expressive, warm illustrations carry the metaphor of planting seeds, so that readers see the seeds of Belpré's stories bloom as the biographical details unfold. Also available in Spanish. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Alicia K. Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lulu Delacre. A fictional girl introduces readers to the very real Pura Belpré, pioneer of services to Spanish-speakers at the New York Public Library in the 1930s. Like Belpré's story hours, the text is in both English and Spanish; the story has a worthy subject, but the telling is labored. Gently lined paintings bring tropical color to the frosty New York streets. Glos.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton