The Pura Belpré Award Celebration 2009

The Pura Belpré Award Celebration 2009

I had been asked to attend the Pura Belpre Award Ceremony which is an award that I had studied in library school and have always held in high esteem.

The ALA Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) web site says it is an award named after the first Latina librarian at the NYPL. Established in 1996, it is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

It is co-sponsored (ALSC) and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.

There is a committee from both associations that read hundreds of Latino themed children's books and come up with three honor books for illustration and three honor books for authorship. They also work all year on putting together the award ceremony.

Out of the 3 and 3 honor books - one from each category gets the gold medal award - and it is an actual gold medal in a wooden box. It looks just like the seal on the books.

Thanks to Armando I was suprised when I walked in and realized that I had already met Yuyi Morales and Lucia Gonzalez who had both come here for Dia de los Ninos Programs. I had also met one other winner Francisco Jimenez - who is one of my heroes.

The decor of the award ceremony was spectacular - even though it was in a Hilton Hotel - one walked up to a table and into the room laden with a lot of Latino color and flavor. There were lots of colorful flags and tablecloths. Unfortunately my camera battery chose to die at that particular moment, but i will try to find some pictures from a friend.

The speeches were all heart felt and many of the authors were in tears. After Yuyi Morales won her award - she thanked everyone with this tribute video which is now posted on youtube. It was fabulous - it shows the character of her Pura Belpre winning book, Sr. Calavera, receiving the Pura Belpre invitation in the mail. The video short is very funny and ends up in her real living room - in Glen Park, San Francisco. I have had the pleasure to be in her house for a book signing (inside information if you want to know what her house looks like)

Please check it out - it is lovely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY1CjAhiDgA

Summary of award winners:

Belpré Author Award
"The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom" by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt

Belpré Author Honor Books

"Just in Case" by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

"Reaching Out" by Francisco Jiménez, Houghton Mifflin Co.

"The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos" by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre, Children's Book Press

Belpré Illustrator Award

"Just in Case" by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership Press

Belpré Illustrator Honor Books

"Papa and Me" illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, written by Arthur Dorros, Rayo, and imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

"The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos" illustrated by Lulu Delacre, written by Lucia Gonzalez, Children's Book Press

"What Can You Do with a Rebozo" illustrated by Amy Cordova, written by Carmen Tafolla, Tricycle Press, an imprint of Ten Speed Press