From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2—One person can make a difference, and in this book Luis Soriano makes all the difference in the world. A Colombian schoolteacher with a passion for reading, he had so many books in his house that he decided to take them to children high up in the mountains where no libraries existed. With the help of two burros, Soriano made the mountainous trek each weekend to spread literacy where it was desperately needed. Winter has a gift for creating nonfiction that is accessible to and appeals to very young readers. The story is well told, and the colorful illustrations reflect the flora and fauna of Colombia. Back matter offers a bit more information about this generous and dedicated teacher who got books into the hands of so many people. Pair this title with Margaret Ruurs's My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World (Boyds Mills, 2005) for some great conversations. Winter ends the book by saying, "A small corner of the world is enriched." What a terrific way to help children think about their role in doing the same.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
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*Starred Review* As in The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq (2005), Winter once again tells an inspiring story about an untraditional library, but here her setting—the lush jungles of Colombia rather than Basra’s war-torn Iraq—makes for a much lighter tale. After amassing piles of books, Luis, a voracious reader, dreams up a way to share his collection with “faraway villages.” He starts with two burros—one for himself, one for books—and heads off. Tough terrain and menacing bandits challenge him along the way, but at last he reaches a remote town, where he holds a story hour and loans titles to eager kids before returning home to his wife and reading late into the night. Winter’s captivating paintings evoke a South American feel in their brilliant palette and dense, green tropical scenes teeming with creatures, including large, orange-winged butterflies on every page. And Winter offers fresh, visual surprises. In a particularly imaginative scene, cartoon bubbles float over the children’s heads, carrying scenes from the story Luis reads aloud. Winter’s text is spare and streamlined, as usual, and here it has a particularly engaging, repetitive rhythm that builds into a lulling bedtime beat, as day turns into night. Both understated and full of life, this satisfying story is a vibrant reminder of the pleasures of books and the difference one individual can make. An author’s note fills in more about the real-life Luis and his biblioburros. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg
Review
* "Winter’s captivating paintings evoke a South American feel in their brilliant palette...Winter’s text is spare and streamlined, as usual, and here it has a particularly engaging, repetitive rhythm that builds into a lulling bedtime beat...Both understated and full of life, this satisfying story is a vibrant reminder of the pleasures of books and the difference one individual can make."--Booklist, starred review
"One person can make a difference, and in this book Luis Soriano makes all the difference in the world...Winter has a gift for creating nonfiction that is accessible to and appeals to very young readers. The story is well told, and the colorful illustrations reflect the flora and fauna of Colombia...Winter ends the book by saying, “A small corner of the world is enriched.” What a terrific way to help children think about their role in doing the same."--School Library Journal
"Winter’s account of his story targets young children and joins several other recent books about traveling libraries around the world. The author’s cheery acrylics present the flora and fauna of the tropical forest in bright colors and naïve style...Sweet and uplifting."--Kirkus Reviews
"Winter again roots a heartening and informative story in real life. Festive acrylic paintings transport readers to the lush Colombian jungle...Tropical colors ignite Winter's art, which has a pleasant folk art feel and an almost feltlike texture."--Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Jeanette Winter is a celebrated picture book creator whose acclaimed works include The Snow Man; The Little Owl & the Big Tree: A Christmas Story; Oil; The Secret Project; and Diego, all written by Jonah Winter, and her own Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia; Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan; and Our House Is on Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet, which has been translated into twenty-one languages.
