Book cover of Waiting for the Biblioburro

Book description

Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

3 authors picked Waiting for the Biblioburro as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Here we have another inspiring book based on the true story of a passionate librarian in Colombia, only this one takes place in remote villages.

Ana is an imaginative girl who treasures her only book, and feels enchanted when she meets Luis Soriano Bohórquez with his burros, bringing books to the countryside. The books she borrows transport her and inspire her to write a tale about the librarian and his burros.

The ending comes full circle when the librarian packs Ana’s book onto the burro and brings it to another village to inspire another child. This reminds us of the…

As a book-loving child who grew up poor in rural Utah and who eagerly awaited the bi-monthly visit of the bookmobile to our little farming community, Waiting for the Biblioburro sings to me. Set in the mountains of Colombia and inspired by the mission of real-life teacher and librarian Luis Soriano, Waiting for the Biblioburro tells the story of little Ana who looks forward with great anticipation to the arrival of Luis and his two burros, Alfa and Beto, who carry books to her little mountain village. The colorful folk-artsy illustrations by John Parra perfectly bring to life Brown’s story.…

From Sharlee's list on libraries and librarians.

Told from the perspective of Ana, a young girl in rural Colombia, Waiting for the Biblioburro is based on the work of Luis Soriano, an educator who brought books to children in remote parts of the country on the backs of his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto. This important story shows the challenges some children face obtaining access to books, and how the adults who support them in innovative ways can inspire a lifelong love of reading.

If you love Waiting for the Biblioburro...

Book cover of Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale

Cinderelliot by Mark Ceilley,

A gay retelling of the classic fairy tale--a scrumptious love story featuring ungrateful stepsiblings, a bake-off, and a fairy godfather.

Cinderelliot is stuck at home taking care of his ungrateful stepsister and stepbrother. When Prince Samuel announces a kingdom-wide competition to join the royal staff as his baker, the stepsiblings…

Want books like Waiting for the Biblioburro?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Waiting for the Biblioburro.

Browse books like Waiting for the Biblioburro

Book cover of Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built
Book cover of Library Lion
Book cover of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Waiting for the Biblioburro, you might also like...

Book cover of A Foot is Not a Fish!

A Foot is Not a Fish! by Cornelia Maude Spelman,

In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every child—and parent—will instantly understand.

This book playfully illustrates common truths by…

Book cover of If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility

If I Could Choose a Best Day by Irene Latham,

A fresh, fun, inspiring illustrated poetry collection you can put in the hands of any reader.

Curated by the award-winning duo Irene Latham and Charles Waters, this collection contains 30 poems that all begin with the same word: "if." Subject matter moves from the practical "if you have a pencil"…

5 book lists we think you will like!