Biblio Burro: A True Story from Columbia

Written & illustrated by: Jeanette Winter 

 

What would you do if there were no books available to read to your children? What if there were no libraries that gave children access to books? This was the case for many villages in Columbia, until one man decided to bring books to children who didn't have them.

Biblio Burro tells the story of a teacher in Columbia who traveled miles and miles to bring books to poor villages in Columbia that had no access to books. Luis Soriano lived in the jungles of Columbia and loved reading books. However his love of reading soon resulted in a house full of books that made it hard to live. Luis decided that he would bring the books he's read to those in villages who had none.

Luis one day then ventures out with one donkey to carry him, and another donkey to carry a crate of books to get books to children in faraway hills of Columbia. His first trip is to El Tormento, where he weathers hot sun and even a bandit who tries to rob him, but he does not let that deter him. He continues on and when he arrives at the village, he is greeted by elated children ready to receive his books.

What started with a collection of 70 books and one trip, has grown to trips every weekend, delivering more than 4,000 books to hundreds of people who would otherwise not have books to read.

Biblio Burro is a wonderful picture book with colorful and lively illustrations that brings Luis' story to life. The story not only teaches children  about giving to others, but also encourages them to value those things that we many times take for granted.

In 2010, the Biblio Burro Foundation was established to provide education and literacy to disadvantaged rural children and teens in the northern villages of Colombia. For more information about the foundation visit it's Facebook pages,  www.facebook.com/BiblioburroFoundation/info in English, or in Spanish at https://www.facebook.com/Biblioburro-32811799715/timeline/.

 

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