PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — On a warm Saturday morning in early May, families from across Providence gathered at the Brown University Bookstore for a bilingual story hour that brought together storytelling, crafts and community.

With support from Brown’s Department of Education, the event featured Rhode Island author Anika Aldamuy Denise, who read from her award-winning picture book “Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré.” The biography follows Belpré’s life as a storyteller, puppeteer and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, and celebrates her lasting impact on bilingual literature. 

The local author was joined by Brown undergraduate Paola Chapilliquen for a bilingual reading in English and Spanish.

Tricia Kelly, a lecturer in education at Brown who has extensive experience working with multilingual learners in Providence-area schools, helped organize the event. She said the story hour was designed to reflect Providence’s rich diversity.

“We always encourage multilingual families to maintain their heritage, and children’s literature is a powerful way to do that,” Kelly said. “Reading to kids in the languages they know best helps preserve both language and cultural connection. That’s why it was important to begin the bookstore’s bilingual story hour with a book that’s authentic, both culturally and linguistically — and Anika is clearly celebrating her Puerto Rican heritage in her writing.”

As part of the event, five Brown undergraduates from the student organization Brown Initiative for Policy led arts and crafts activities inspired by the story’s theme of storytelling as seed-sowing. Children planted flower seeds in mini clay pots and made colorful paper flowers to take home.

According to Michelle Mare, associate director of operations, the bookstore ran an active children’s storytime program before the COVID-19 pandemic and is now working to bring it back as a way to re-engage with the local community.

“The Brown Bookstore recognizes that community engagement is very important on many levels — it builds stronger, more connected communities,” Mare said. “Story hour gives children the chance to interact with peers, practice sharing and participate in group activities. It also creates opportunities for bonding and shared experiences with their parents or caregivers.”

With the success of the event, the Brown University Bookstore plans to launch a formal storytime program this fall, Mare said. 

“We’re excited to use the summer to shape a story hour program that will welcome even more families starting this fall."