Age Range: 4-8 years

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Random House/Schwartz & Wade, September 8, 2020

ISBN: 9781984892638

Kirkus, starred review

School Library Journal, starred review

About the Book

A gorgeous and inspiring picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route.

In the city of Bogotá, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Josés. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays-- that's the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second José is a garbage collector. From dusk until dawn, he scans the sidewalks as he drives, squinting in the dim light, searching household trash for hidden treasure . . . books! Some are stacked in neat piles, as if waiting for José. Others take a bit more digging. Ever since he found his first book, Anna Karenina, years earlier, he's been collecting books--thick ones and thin ones, worn ones and almost new ones-- to add to the collection in his home. And on Saturdays, kids like little José run to the steps of Paradise to discover a world filled with books and wonder. 

With an evocative text by a debut author, and rich, stunning illustrations from an up-and-coming Colombian illustrator, here is a celebration of perseverance, community, and the power of books.

Available Now in both English and Spanish!

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Age Range: 4-8 years

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Random House/Schwartz & Wade, September 8, 2020

ISBN: 9780593181706