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The Storyteller's Candle: La velita de los cuentos

tstar.gif" Introducing Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library system, this warmhearted Spanish/English bilingual story adopts the perspectives of two children who are inspired by Belpré to enter a library for the very first time. 5141GUUQ_UL._AA240_.jpgDuring a cold, Depression-era winter, Belpré organizes the community to hold a Three Kings' Day festival at the library. In telling the story, González livens the English text with a sprinkling of Spanish words, and chooses facts of interest to children, but streamlines biographical details so that she can focus on the characters. Delacre's inviting oil and collage illustrations cleverly incorporate sepia-toned clippings from a January 6, 1930, New York Times, turning them into architectural elements, books, furniture, etc. With this simple and affectionate story, González and Delacre (both winners of the ALA's Pura Belpré Honor Medal) broadcast Belpré's welcome message to new generations of immigrants—“Remember, the library belongs to you all,” Belpré says. “We'll blow out the storyteller's candle, and your wish will come true.” " –  Publisher's Weekly starred review

"Two Pura Belpré Honor Award winners have created a moving portrait
of New York City's first Puerto Rican librarian, a woman whose work has inspired generations of young people in the communities she served...A lovely offering about the role of librarians in the lives of children." –School Library Journal

"Rich with details of traditions of the island, infused with the potent combination of homesickness and anticipation of better times, this picture book captures the spirit that Belpré inspired in her long career. Delacre’s mixed-media illustrations are especially meaningful." – Críticas Magazine 


• CCBC Choices 2007

•A Junior Library Guild Selection

"Delacre affectionately depicts the brief conflicts and abiding love between this busy duo, adding appealing watercolor illustrations. While Rafi is older and savvier, the verve with which Rosi approaches the panoply of childish emotions will jibe with kids fresh from such mastery themselves." – Kirkus Reviews

"These frog siblings are mischievous, but it is clear that they love and appreciate one another. Their emotions and experiences are universal to childhood. The charming cartoon illustrations are integral to the amusing text." – School Library Jounal


Rafi and Rosi

Rafirosi_jkt.jp.jpg

• A Junior Library Guild Selection

"Puerto Rican tree frogs Rafi and Rosi team up for some informative hijinks in this beginning reader. Older brother Rafi tricks his sister Rosi in two of three chapters: with help of a strong magnet and some iron filings he convinces Rosi he has "magic fingers," and he pretends to shoot stars out of the sky with his bow and arrow on the shore of Parguera Bay, "the bay of glittering water." Rosi gets her own back, however – she pushes Rafi into the lake in Chapter Two and helps her know-it-all big brother find his missing hermit crab in Chapter Three... Delacre illustrates this title in sunny beach shades of sand and sky, making the most of the expressively big-eyed tree frogs and their spindly but graceful limbs. Rafi and Rosi are a likable pair of siblings, and their science-oriented activities, while not intrusive, provide an underlying solidity to their interaction." – Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

Arrorró mi niño: Latino Lullabies and Gentle Games • Book and CD

• A 2006 Pura Belpré Honor Book for Illustration arrorro_cover042

"... a bilingual collection of traditional Latino games and lullabies, is a tribute to motherhood. Delacre’s soft and tender illustrations celebrate the Latino family in a wide variety of settings. The combination of delicate and glowing colors makes each illustration warm and full of appeal." – ALA

"A veritable Latina Mother Goose" - Horn Book Magazine

Shake it, Morena! And Other Folklore from Puerto Rico by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, Paintings by Lulu Delacre

0761319107.01.l.jpg“The arc of a young girl's typical school day gives structure to this presentation of a rich mixture of traditional songs, games, riddles, a few simple recipes, and stories from Puerto Rico...The 27 lizards hiding in Delacre's clear, vibrant watercolors depicting a rural town, will demand attention from readers as they pore over the other details of a contemporary society enlivened by tradition.” —Kirkus Reviews

Salsa Stories

Salsastories.jpg
A CCBC Choices Book • An IRA Notable Book for a Global Society • IRA List of Outstanding International Books • CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People • An Américas Highly Commended Title
“Cleverly conceived, the vignettes in this collection of evocative, often touching Latin American short stories connect with a larger fictional narrative and feature a culinary delight (recipes included).”
–Kirkus Reviews
Cuentos con sazón
Críticas Best Book of 2002
"This compilation of stories provides excellent insight into a variety of Latin American cultures and traditions. Characters come from places as diverse as Argentina, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico in this entertaining reverie of family traditions and the good old days." –Críticas starred review

Golden Tales: Myths, Legends and Folktales from Latin America

A CCBC Choices Book • An Américas Commended Title 
Goldentales.jpg“Delacre has created a collection that will be welcomed by all who have also sought in vain for such an introductory treasury...Her retellings are done in a clear and confident voice and are accompanied by her robust, colorful oil paintings...this impressively presented and referenced collection will inspire
readers and tellers alike to further mine the rich, complex landscapes of Latin American folklore.”
–Booklist
De oro y esmeraldas: Mitos, leyendas y cuentos populares de Latinoamérica
"Well-written source notes and numerous full-page oil paintings convey the drama of these ancient civilizations... their (tales) time tested authenticity is unquestionable."– Isabel Schon, Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults

Senorcats.jpgSeñor Cat’s Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America
Retold by Lucía M. González, IIlustrated by Lulu Delacre
2001 • English Edition Paperback • Scholastic • 0-439-27863-5 • $5.99
El romance de Don Gato
1999 • Spanish Edition Paperback • Scholastic • 0-439-08377 • $5.99 

 

 

The Bossy Gallito: A Traditional Cuban Folktale
Retold by Lucía M.Delarce_gallito.jpg González, Illustrated by Lulu Delacre
A 1996 Pura Belpré Honor Book for Text • A 1996 Pura Belpré Honor Book for Illustration • A Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies • An American Bookseller’s Pick of the Lists
• Aesop Accolade List • A New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing
Bilingual Paperback • Scholastic • 0-439-06757-X • $5.99
El gallo de bodas
Mariposa Spanish Paperback • Scholastic • 043-912003 • $4.95 

Dscn0768.jpgVejigante Masquerader (Bilingual)
A 1993 Américas Award
An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
An NCTE Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Language Arts
“Carnival is near, and Ramón longs to masquerade along with the older boys, the vejigantes, in the month-long celebration. The bilingual text, along with muted, earth-toned illustrations, settles like a gentle blanket to embrace readers with subthemes of both personal and cultural strength and beauty.” –School Library Journal
1993 • Paperback • Scholastic • 0-590-45777-2 • $3.95

Arroz_thumbnail.jpgArroz con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America (Bilingual)
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
1989 • Paperback • Scholastic • 0-590-41886-6 • $4.95
Cassette • Scholastic 60035-4 • $4.95