The U of A Poetry Center is introducing a new theme and mural for its children’s area, accompanied by new K-12 field trip offerings and a monthly bilingual story hour.
The new theme is ¡Cuentos del Mundo!, which celebrates the Biblioteca de México in Mexico City, bridging classic global folklore with modern literature loved by our neighbors in Mexico. The first transformation of the Poetry Center’s children’s area in five years includes a new story-themed mural by local Chicana artist Adelynn Olea of Alleycat Murals, new books (including braille) for the themed reading shelf and a rotating interactive exhibit.
One of the goals for ¡Cuentos del Mundo! is to extend our reach to local families, especially families who don't normally find themselves on campus, said Eva Maria Sierra, education and outreach assistant at the Poetry Center.
“Much of this project was inspired by my own growing up in the bilingual community of Douglas and Agua Prieta, and the stories I loved hearing as a child in both English and Spanish,” Sierra said.
The new bilingual story time will take place at 10 a.m. every second Saturday, starting Sept. 12, and continuing through December. Families with children from infancy through third grade are invited to hear stories read in English and Spanish. The events are free, no registration is required and parking is free on campus surface lots on Saturdays.
“It has been a lot of fun imagining curriculum, community offerings and field trip activities centered around the new Brave Books theme,” Sierra said. “My research has also given me a renewed appreciation for oral history and the act of writing down stories, how stories continue to evolve long after they are written, and how different cultures contextualize and extract from the same stories in different ways.
The Brave Books program is the Poetry Center’s thematic celebration of independent bookstores and libraries from around the world. In years past, the program has featured Shakespeare & Company in Paris, the African National Memorial Bookstore in Harlem, the Library of Alexandria and Basra Central Library in Egypt and Iraq, Casa Camino Real in New Mexico, and most recently, zines and zine libraries. ¡Cuentos del Mundo! offerings and curriculum center Mexican literature as well as classic stories loved all over the world like fables, fairy tales, folktales and legends.
Stop by to see the new mural and check out the Brave Books titles. You can see the full reading list at the links, in English and Español. For more information, email pceducation@arizona.edu.