Pura Belpre is responsible for opening the doors of the NYC Public Library to Puerto Ricans young and old during the Great Depression. She spoke both English and Spanish to visitors of the library, and opened their eyes to the idea that the library was useful and open to them, even as Spanish speakers.
By visiting schools, she spread the word to her fellow Native Spanish speakers to let them know that there are books available in the Spanish language.
The children's book The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos by Lucia Gonzalez and illustrated by Lulu Delacre tells a fictional story of how Belpre influenced Puerto Ricans who came to America during the Great Depression, feeling isolated and not used to the cold weather.In the story, true to real life, Pura Belpre gains the trust and admiration of many Spanish speakers living in NYC during the 1930's by telling stories passed down in her family for generations through puppetry. She also spent much of her time planning celebrations like El Dia de lost Reyes, or Three Kings Day, to help people of her culture feel more at home and transition more easily to life in America away from home.
After each storytelling session, Pura asked the children to make a wish and blow out the candle in order for it to come true. This was another example of how she gave hope and shared her passion of stories and community with children.
Pura Belpre also wrote the children's store "Pérez and Martina," which she published in 1932 and has become a classic of children's literature. The story is mentioned in The Storyteller's Candle and is about a beautiful cockroach named Martina who befriends a heroic mouse named Perez. It is well known within the Spanish community.
The Pura Belpre award was established in 1996 and was given every-other year until 2009 where it was presented annually. It is awarded to honor Latino writers and illustrators whose children's books celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
According to the Author Lucia Gonzalez, Belpre was a "visionary" who saw that the library could be used to reach out to and bring together the Latino community taking the library outside of the library walls.
Watch this video for more insight into author Lucia Gonzalez's thoughts on Pura Belpre:
