Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781984892638)

A gorgeous and inspiring picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route.

In the city of Bogata, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Joses. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays-- that's the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second Jose is a garbage collector. From dusk until dawn, he scans the sidewalks as he drives, squinting in the dim light, searching household trash for hidden treasure . . . books! Some are stacked in neat piles, as if waiting for José́. Others take a bit more digging. Ever since he found his first book, Anna Karenina, years earlier, he's been collecting books--thick ones and thin ones, worn ones and almost new ones-- to add to the collection in his home. And on Saturdays, kids like little Jose run to the steps of Paradise to discover a world filled with books and wonder.

With an evocative text by a debut author, and rich, stunning illustrations from an up-and-coming Colombian illustrator, here is a celebration of perseverance, community, and the power of books.

Author: Angela Burke Kunkel
ISBN-10: 1984892630
ISBN-13: 9781984892638
Publisher: Random House Studio
Language: English
Published: 09/08/2020
Pages: 40
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 11.20h x 9.40w x 0.30d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 511974 / Digging for Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2020
Publishers Weekly 08/10/2020
School Library Journal 08/14/2020 pg. 1
Booklist 09/01/2020 pg. 112
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2020
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2021 pg. 129
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2021 - Superior,Well Above Average