Waiting for the Biblioburro

Picture book
Recently I took a fellow RSU 26 board member and his delightful
children on a tour of the Orono Public Library. They were highly
impressed with all it had to offer: the plethora of books with so
many more available on inter library loan, the CDs and DVDs, the
puppet theater and sunny reading nooks... It saddens me that so many
people in our country take one of their community's greatest treasures
for granted. Guess they haven't read Monica Brown's Waiting for the
Biblioburro.
Ana, a little girl growing up in Columbia, treasures her one and
only book. She has read it so often she knows it by heart. She tells
her little brother stories to help him fall asleep.
One day Ana awakens to the sound of hoofs. She sees a man with
a sign, Biblioburro, and two burros laden with books. She and other
children run to meet him. He introduces himself as a librarian with a
moving library. He reads to them and helps the youngest with the
alphabet. Ana is able to borrow books and take them home. The next
time her librarian returns she has created a book for him.
Most of us, with ready access to a universe of books, would seem
truly blessed to a child like Ana. Let's be cognizant of our great
good fortune and help people both abroad and at home have more access
to the wonderful world of books.
On a personal note, I adore volunteering at the Orono Public Library
Children's wing. Just recently I did a program on the Titanic.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow children's wing volunteer,
Laura K. We are, without a doubt, a dynamic duo.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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