Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built

What a wonderful, inspiring, bilingual book with gorgeous illustrations. It has the same magical feeling that One Hundred Years of Solitude gave me (except much happier and for kids). No wonder, as the book is shown in the illustrations and is mentioned as being especially meaningful to Señor Gutiérrez. I cannot wait to read this for one of my library/book-themed storytimes. Everyone of all ages should read this. It made my heart so happy.

This book tells the real story of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia, who spent over two decades beginning in 1997 rescuing discarded books and creating a free lending service for the poor in his community. He gained the nickname “The Lord of the Books,” calling his library (located in his own home) “The Strength of Words.” By some accounts he has helped more than 22,000 Colombians in vulnerable, mainly rural areas across the country to open their horizons to other worlds.

This book juxtaposes Gutiérrez’s story with that of a little boy, also named José, who counts the days until it is Saturday, when he and the other children in the neighborhood can visit Gutiérrez’s library.

Bogotá show more illustrator Paola Escobar has created animation-like depictions of the faraway times and places José is now able to visit through stories because of the library. The author writes of each book in the library:

“It opens to a place beyond the barrio, a place José cannot ride his bicicleta to. With each turn of the page, both Josés see something new - something different from the same streets and the same hills.”

The book concludes with an Author’s Note providing more background on Gutiérrez. We learn that he no longer collects garbage, but now runs a foundation he established, The Strength of Words, and addresses global audiences on the importance of literacy. Also included in the back matter is a description of the books featured in the illustrations that were particularly meaningful to Gutiérrez, and a selection of online resources.

Evaluation: This wonderful story has so many lessons. Even if you or those around you think your job may not mean much, you can still make a huge difference in the lives of others with a little vision and perseverance. show less

This sweet picture book follows the story based off of two real people named Jose. One is a little boy who dreams of Saturdays so he can go to the library and read books and the other is an older man who is a garbage collector and finds books he calls treasures, in people's trash. The story's concept is bringing two different people together from all walks of life and how the power of books can transport people. I highly recommend this story as it showcases and celebrates the history and life in Mexican and Colombian communities. I would use this book in my class to highlight the depth of how powerful books can be and the relationships between all kinds of people. It's based off two real life people and their stories and is an easy read.

A garbage collected named José dreams sees discarded books in the trash. He opens a library in Bogotá to serve the poor. The story also features a young boy named José who can't wait for Saturday to visit the other José's library. The notes at the end give readers (or the adults reading to children) the rest of the story. The older José now runs the foundation that supports the library rather than collecting trash. The book shows the importance of literacy.

This is a heartwarming story about Jose, who as a child wanted to read books on a Saturday. When he's older, he collects enough books and treasures as a garbage collector and is able to make his childhood dreams come true. I love how the overall theme is implemented, even if it is not direct. I recommend this book for all ages!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is about a garbage man who searches for books in the trash in order to take them to a building where children can look at them, creating his own library for the children in La Nueva Gloria barrio. This would be a good book for primary students, though maybe upper primary or in a dual language class because there are some words in the book that are in Spanish, so it may be confusing for younger students.

This book is about two Jose's who have a love for reading. One of the Jose's is young and the other Jose collects garbage while searching for books. When he finds books on his route, he shares them with the children in the community including little Jose. The book also contains words and phrases in Spanish. I would definitely recommend this book because it demonstrates the impact books can have. This is a good book for 2nd and 3rd graders to read and a read aloud for 3rd graders.