The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children's Author, and New York Public Librarian ed. by Lisa Sánchez González (review)

Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library and author of the first known Latina/o children's book from a mainstream publisher, has received a strikingly small amout of scholarly attention. This book, a collection of Belpré's stories and essays, introduced by a biography, seeks to fill that gap and draw attention to this important historical figure. Sánchez González provides a brief biographical sketch of Belpré, drawing from relatively unexplored archival sources and accessibly situating Belpré's life and work within larger contexts of the history of Puerto Rican diaspora, the genesis of children's librarianship as a profession, feminist folklore studies, and the development of an ethnically conscious Latina/o literature, suggesting directions for further research. She also has carefully selected thirty-two of Belpré's Puerto Rican folktales, seventeen previously published (though, to date, out of print) and fifteen never-before published, all of which are wondrous in their simple magic and showcase the Spanish, Indigenous, and African roots of Puerto Rican oral culture, as well as Belpré's phenomenal talent as a storyteller. Her essays, also mostly previously unpublished, are thoughtful reflections in her work in bilingual outreach and storytelling that provide important historical context yet often feel surprisingly relevant thirty-five years on. Folklore enthusiasts and storytellers are sure to find this collection of tales and history useful as a resource for a fairly untapped folkloric tradition, and teachers, librarians, and scholars with interests in fields as diverse as ethnic studies, library and information science, literary history, and performance studies (Belpré also wrote a few short plays and was an important puppeteer) are likely to find a wealth of information and directions for further study in this portrait of a remarkable and foundational woman.