Pura Belpré Award

About the Pura Belpré Award
The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA), an ALA affiliate.

The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and author, she enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the U.S.A. through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.

It is now an annual award.  It was a biennial award from its inaugural year in 1996 through 2008. 

Administered by:

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) logo

Children's Author

2022 Winner(s)

Winner

The Last Cuentista

Written by Donna Barba Higuera. Published by Levine Querido.

2022 Honor(s)

Honor

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
Written by Alda P. Dobbs. Published by Sourcebooks Young Readers, an imprint of Sourcebooks Kids

Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua
Written by Gloria Amescua, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

De aquí como el coquí
Written and illustrated by Nomar Perez, translated by Farah Perez. Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House

Youth Illustrator

2022 Winner(s)

Winner

¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge

Illustrated and written by Raúl Gonzalez. Published by Versify, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

2022 Honor(s)

Honor

Boogie Boogie, Y’all
Illustrated and written by C. G. Esperanza. Published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Bright Star
Illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales. Published by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House

De aquí como el coquí
Illustrated and written by Nomar Perez, translated by Farah Perez. Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House

May Your Life Be Deliciosa
Illustrated by Loris Lora, written by Michael Genhart. Published by Cameron Kids, an imprint of Cameron + Company, a division of ABRAMS

Young Adult Author

2022 Winner(s)

Winner

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe

Written by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

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