Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia caught my eye because of the vivid cover illustration. It hinted at being a Tomie de Paola story but was not actually feeling 100% right. On closer inspection I learned that this was a Jeanette Winter story.
Now curious, I decided to take a minute and read said book. Biblioburro is a lovely story about the power of books. It is based on the true story of how one man’s love of books literally filled his home and he then decided to share his love with others (perhaps his wife and her being less than thrilled at how many books he had helped in that decision). He and a burro to hold books and one for him to ride (and to hold more books) take off to the areas of his home to allow the people to borrow said books. He would go through all types of terrain and even bandits to get to his destination. And at the end of his journey, there were many excited people waiting for him.
This book reminded me of That Book Woman by heather Henson (illustrations by David Small) and other books and stories that talked about people riding their horses (or even vehicles) into areas that did not have access to reading materials throughout the years. These were the first bookmobiles and the first lending libraries in many areas.
The art of Winter is classically them. There are bright, vibrant colors. They tell the story and show the people and country in a poetic fashion. There is also an author’s note about the real man who inspired her story.
