We enlarged our copy of Biblioburro. This is a significant act for BW.
We enlarge only those books that the team ( opinionated and outspoken!) agree upon. So when Jeannette Winter’s Biblioburro, a true story about Luis Soriano and Alpha and Beto made it to the ‘ blown up’ status the book itself begins to travel.
We narrated it for the first time at Tercena, Aldona for our RiP program on the 9th of November, 2013. We narrated it at 6. 20 pm when the sun had set and the only light available was from a distant masthead and the weak light of the Institute building and the Parish shops besides the park.
We narrated it when the children in the park thought that the Reading in the Park program was ending.
We narrated Biblioburro when the children thought that our story repertoire of ShortCut and The Big Red Lollipop were the only tricks in the bag for the day
We narrated the book by candle light.
Why, you might ask?
Well, to know that you need to know the story from the end:-). Jeannette Winter tells the story of Luis from a perspective of ‘spreading the light of reading’. She tells it also from the point of view of distant village life where light comes from the sun during the day and the lanterns/ candles at night and there was no better location to bring this home than the perfect setting of a village park in Goa.
Each candle had a bobeche, a wax drip catcher to prevent little hands from errant drips. Many children raised their hands to receive the candle, not knowing where this will lead and why we were lighting up the park. Once we had assembled, the purpose was revealed. We listened to Biblioburro by candle light and a lot of help from a torchlight.
We read and realised that taking books to children who may not have the opportunity or access is a spirited and wonderful thing and that in doing so, we continue to collect stories, share stories and keep stories alive. In keeping stories alive we build stronger connections and seed ideas and we grow our own resolve to spread the light .
