Pura Belpré

Life Belpré was born in Cidra, Puerto Rico. There is some dispute as to the date of her birth which has been given as February 2, 1899, December 2, 1901 and February 2, 1903. Belpré graduated from Central High School in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1919 and enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, planning to become a teacher. But in 1920, while attending her sister Elisa's New York City wedding, she was recruited as part of a public library campaign to hire young women from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Death Belpré died on July 1, 1982, The award was initially given biannually from 1996-2008 and is currently given annually where three medals are awarded to a Latino author of an outstanding children’s book, a Latino author of an outstanding young adult book, and one to a Latino illustrator for creating an outstanding children’s picture book. The young adult category was first added in 2021. In 2022, 109th Street and Lexington Avenue in East Harlem was named Pura Belpré Way.

A documentary film about the life and work of Pura Belpré was produced in 2011, and is available for viewing at the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños at Hunter College.

The Pura Belpré Papers, held at the Archives of the Puerto Rican Diaspora, Center for Puerto Rican Studies "are an important source for the study of Puerto Rican children's literature, folk tales, and legends. They are valuable for examining relationships between the Puerto Rican community and a major institution such as the New York Public Library. Additionally, the papers document the formation and organizational development of the Puerto Rican community in New York City."

Some juvenile biographies have been published teaching children about the life of Pura Belpré with some having both English and Spanish editions. Examples include Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise (with the Spanish language edition title being Sembrando historias: Pura Belpré: bibliotecaria y narradora de cuentos), Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories (with the Spanish language edition title being Los Cuentos de Pura Belpré) by Annette Bay Pimentel, The Life of / La vida de Pura (a bilingual English/Spanish book) by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, and She Persisted: Pura Belpré by Meg Medina, Marilisa Jiménez García and Chelsea Clinton (with the Spanish title being Ella persistió: Pura Belpré).

Bibliography of Belpré's works Books in English Perez and Martina: A Portorican Folktale (illustrated by Carlos Sanchez), Warne, 1932, new edition, 1961, published in Spanish, Viking (New York, NY), 1991. The Three Magi found in the anthology "The Animals' Christmas" by Anne Thaxter Eaton, 1944. The Tiger and the Rabbit, and Other Tales (illustrated by Kay Peterson Parker), Houghton, 1946, new edition (illustrated by Tomie de Paola), Lippincott, 1965. Juan Bobo and the Queen's Necklace: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale (illustrated by Christine Price), Warne, 1962. Ote: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale (illustrated by Paul Galdone), Pantheon, 1969. Santiago (illustrated by Symeon Shimin), Warne, 1969. (With Mary K. Conwell) Libros en Espanol: An Annotated List of Children's Books in Spanish, New York Public Library, 1971. Dance of the Animals: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale (illustrated by Paul Galdone), Warne, 1972. Once in Puerto Rico (illustrated by C. Price), Warne, 1973. Which includes: The Land of Brave Men; The Legend of the Royal Palm; Guani; The Legend of the Hummingbird; Amapola and the Butterfly; Iviahoca; Yuisa and Pedro Mexias; The Legend of the Ceiba of Ponce; The Little Blue Light; Three Tales of Old San Juan: The Chapel on Cristo Street, The Cistern of San Cristobal, and The Rogativa; The Miracle of Hormigueros; Pedro Animala and the Carrao Bird; The Stone Dog; The Parrot Who Wouldn't Say Cataño; and Pablo and the Pirate's Ghost. A Rainbow-Colored Horse (illustrated by Antonio Martorell), Warne, 1978. Firefly Summer, Piñata Books (Houston, TX), 1996.

Translations into Spanish Munro Leaf, El Cuento de Ferdinand ("The Story of Ferdinand"), Viking, 1962. Crosby N. Bonsall, Caso del Forastero Hambriento ("Case of the Hungry Stranger"), Harper, 1969. Carla Greene, Camioneros: ¿Qué Hacen? ("Truck Drivers: What Do They Do?"), Harper, 1969. Syd Hoff, Danielito y el Dinosauro ("Danny and the Dinosaur"), Harper, 1969. Leonard Kessler, Aquí Viene el Ponchado ("Here Comes the Strikeout"), Harper, 1969. Else Holmelund Minarik, Osito ("Little Bear"), Harper, 1969. Millicent E. Selsam, Teresita y las Orugas ("Terry and the Caterpillar"), Harper, 1969. Paul Newman, Ningún Lugar para Jugar ("No Place to Play"), Grosset, 1971.