The Storyteller’s Candle by Lucía González and Lulu Delacre

The winter of 1929 feels especially cold to cousins Hildamar and Santiago—they arrived in New York City from sunny Puerto Rico only months before. Their island home feels very far away indeed, especially with Three Kings’ Day rapidly approaching.

But then a magical thing happened. A visitor appears in their class, a gifted storyteller and librarian by the name of Pura Belpré. She opens the children’s eyes to the public library and its potential to be the living, breathing heart of the community. The library, after all, belongs to everyone—whether you speak Spanish, English, or both.

Award-winners Lucía González and Lulu Delacre have crafted an affecting homage to Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Latina librarian. Through her vision and dedication, the warmth of Puerto Rico came to the island of Manhattan in a most unexpected way.

Author Lucía González will be donating her royalties to the ALA Pura Belpré Award Endowment.

“...There’s an honest, almost folk-like quality to the detailed scenes...”
—Children’s Literature

“Both the English and Spanish narratives have considerable flow and propulsion, which make the book a perfect fit for storytimes, especially during the holiday season. A sound addition for most public and school library collections.”
—Criticas Magazine

“This is a warm, winning introduction to the work of the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York, whose name was given to the American Librarian Association's annual award that honors Latino authors and illustrators.”
—Booklist

The Storyteller’s Candle
La velita de los cuentos