Book Review & Bilingual Reading Guides: Waiting for the Biblioburro {Giveaway}

In the world of children’s books, we often speak about the window and the mirror. It is of course important for our kids’ books to serve as a mirror and for them to see themselves in what they read. On the other hand, books must also provide a window into experiences and cultures other than our own. My kids are surrounded by books. Books we own, books from the library… suffice it to say, books are everywhere. Okay, okay, we own a company that helps families discover books, but we are not unlike many other families in our neighborhood. For us, books are in abundance. And yet, throughout the U.S. and in many other countries around the world, there are kids growing up with no books in their homes at all.

Waiting for the Biblioburro gives a window into many things for our kids. First, we are introduced to rural life in Colombia, where a teacher moving away means no more school or access to books for local children. Ana, the main character of the story, reads her sole book over and over again, until she and her village friends are one day surprised by a biblioburro, a teacher from the city who acts as a mobile library for children throughout the countryside. Ana’s deep appreciation for her books, and the love she has for reading and writing, resonate with child and parent alike.

The best part about this uplifting story is that it is based on the real life Biblioburro, which gives us a meaningful opportunity to talk with our little ones about the value of reading and books, and what it means when they are not easy to obtain.  At Zoobean, we have created English and Spanish reading guides to accompany the book and enhance your experience while enjoying it. We hope you love the story as much as we do, and would love to hear your feedback on the book and guide. ¡Qué disfruten!

Special for SpanglishBaby members, enter SPANGLISH at checkout to receive 50% off the first month of a new subscription on Zoobean!

English Guide Here

Spanish Guide Here

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away one copy of Biblioburro to THREE lucky winners. All you have to do is leave us a comment letting us know who you’d like to win this giveaway for. Then, enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jordan Lloyd BookeyJordan Lloyd Bookey is Chief Mom and Co-Founder at Zoobean, a discovery platform and service that handpicks book and app selections for each individual child. Every book or app from Zoobean is curated by a team of experts…who also happen to be parents and librarians! These curators also provide reading guides with literacy tips and fun activities for the books selected for each child. Jordan leads Zoobean’s marketing and curation efforts, looking after the content and creative direction of the site. Before she decided to make the leap as an entrepreneur, Jordan served as Google’s Head of K-12 Education Outreach, where she was responsible for the company’s worldwide programs that expand access to technology and computer science kids. Prior to that, Jordan led the Diversity & Talent Inclusion efforts for Google’s Midwest and East Coast offices.Jordan earned an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Latin American Studies, spending time in Venezuela and Cuba, and graduated with an MBA from The Wharton School of Business. Before graduate school, Jordan taught middle school Social Studies and Language Arts at the Seed School of Washington, DC, and served as a program director at a literacy‐focused nonprofit.Jordan is originally from Des Moines, IA, and now lives with her family in Washington, DC. You can usually find her at 1776 DC, working on Zoobean with her husband and Chief Dad, Felix, or exploring the city and trying to keep up with her children, Cassius and Florence.