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Waiting for the Biblioburro
Last updated Thursday, August 7, 2025
Author: Monica Brown
Illustrator: John Parra
Date of Publication: 2011
ISBN: 1582463530
Grade Level: 1st (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Aug. 2025
Synopsis:
Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful sight: a traveling library resting on the backs of two burros‑ all the books a little girl could dream of, with enough stories to encourage her to create one of her own.
Inspired by the heroic efforts of real-life librarian Luis Soriano, this book introduces readers to the mobile library that journeys over mountains and through valleys to bring literacy and culture to rural Colombia, and to the children who wait for the BiblioBurro.
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Do a picture walk-through of the book. What do you think a Biblioburro is? Ask questions the little girl, her village and about the moving library. Ask the children have they been to their school or local library. Enjoy a conversation on other things they can do at a library. See if they can tell you some things that they have done while visiting those libraries. Did anyone participate in their Summer Reading Clubs?
Vocabulary
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Biblioburro n. moving Librarian
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Burro n. small donkey used as a pack animal
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Dreams n. pictures or vision that happen when you sleep
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Libro n. (Spanish) Book
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Cuentos n. (Spanish) short story or tale
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Village n. small place where people live, smaller than a town, often in the countryside
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Do you remember what Ana’s problem was? What did Ana do with her little brother to help him fall to sleep?
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Where does Ana live?
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What does Ana really want to do?
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Why doesn’t Ana have more books to read?
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Did Ana get more books and how did she get them?
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Can you remember the names of the burros?
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How does Ana feel about the visit from the Biblioburro?
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What would you do if you had a Biblioburro stop by your home or neighborhood?
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Would you like to create your own story? What would want to say? How would your story begin? How
would your story end? Revisit the ready to share Ana’s story.
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They can just start with the cover page of their own story book.
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| Craft ideas: |
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Create a small journal/story book to begin their love of telling stories or journaling the books they read over
the clubs. (Construction Paper (color of their choice, fold to create a cover and page inserts, use a
classroom stapler or glue stick to put book together.)
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Color in the coloring sheets provided with this month's books
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| Special activities: |
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REMINDER: if you don’t have air conditioning, on a very hot day your public library has AC to help
keep you cool.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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