Pura’s Cuentos (English)
Book Summary:
Pura’s Cuentos by Annette Bay Pimentel tells the story of Pura Belpré, a librarian in New York City who transforms her library by including oral storytelling alongside books. She invites Spanish-speaking children and tells stories in Spanish, ensuring that their language and culture are represented. The book celebrates the power of storytelling and the importance of honoring one’s cultural heritage and traditions.
Recommended Questions:
·The librarian valued Pura’s Spanish and English skills, but that’s not the only reason she was offered a job. What other qualities do you think the librarian saw in Pura that made her a good fit for the library?
Why do you think the library had books with stories from Ireland, Germany, and Italy, but none from Puerto Rico? What does that tell us about whose stories were being shared at that time? Who’s story is missing from our library?
The library had a rule that librarians could only tell stories that were in books. Why do you think Pura decides to break that rule? If she told you she was considering breaking this rule and asked for advice, would you encourage or discourage her—and why?
“She tells los cuentos. En Español. Some from books. Some not.”Do you think there were rules or expectations about what language stories could be told in? What do we know about language discrimination in history, and how does that connect to Pura’s choice?
On page 16, the quote “Thanks, Miss Belpré… I am a little tired of kings and queens” comes directly from Pura’s own writing. Why do you think the author chose to include her actual words? How does this choice strengthen the message of the story?
Why was it important to Pura to find and encourage Spanish-speaking children to come to the library? How did she help make the library a more welcoming place for everyone?
Where can we learn more about Pura Belpré and her legacy? How might we continue her mission of sharing diverse stories today?
Research the Pura Belpré book award. How does this award preserve her legacy?
Standards:
NCSS Theme 1: Culture
Pura’s Cuentos celebrates how stories express and preserve culture. Through Pura Belpré’s commitment to telling Puerto Rican folktales in both English and Spanish, readers see how cultural identity is passed on through storytelling, language, and community spaces. The book encourages respect for diverse traditions and helps students understand that culture is both shared and evolving.
Social Justice Anchor Standard 5: Respect Culture
Pura’s Cuentos connects to Social Justice Anchor Standard 5 because Pura tells stories in Spanish, resisting the dominant culture’s preference for English and showing that her language and traditions are valuable. Her storytelling highlights how dominant cultural norms can marginalize certain voices, while also demonstrating the power of oral traditions to preserve and share cultural knowledge. Through her actions, students can see how cultural authority and power can be challenged and reclaimed.
WA History 3: Understand that there are multiple perspective and interpretations of historical events
Pura’s storytelling shows that history and culture can be experienced and preserved differently depending on one’s perspective. By sharing stories in Spanish and drawing from her own cultural oral story telling traditions, she provides a viewpoint that is often marginalized by dominant narratives, helping students recognize that history is not a single, uniform story but includes many voices and experiences.
