Christmas donkey's tale 'a new classic' Print
Written by Production   
Monday, 09 November 2009 02:31 PM America/New_York
Clopper's journey to Bethlehem celebrates Hispanic holiday heritage

ElBurritodeBelenEditorial Portavoz's Christmas release for Spanish-speaking children ages 4 to 8, El burrito de Belén (Clopper, the Christmas Donkey, 978-0-825-41790-0, $9.99), taps into a rich vein of Hispanic tradition.

"Christmas in Spanish-speaking areas is a very important religious holiday and is celebrated in a variety of ways," said Cathy Vila, director of marketing for Editorial Portavoz. "One of the most beloved characters from the Christmas story is the donkey, known to Spanish-speaking children as El burrito de Belén, the Christmas donkey. Throughout all the Spanish-speaking countries of the world, children sing a song about the Christmas donkey."

The new, 32-page hardcover book "takes the story one step further with colorful illustrations and gives the donkey a voice to tell his tale."

El burrito de Belén tells the story of the greatest adventure of a hardworking donkey's life—escorting Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and the dusty stable in which Jesus would be born, and the subsequent news from the angels that brought three shepherds to pay their respects.

Quotations from the Luke 2:1-20 passage are set throughout the book by scrolls that are drawn into the illustrations. The book is intended to both be read by young children on their own and enjoyed as a read-aloud with parents.

The original version in English was released by Kregel Publications in 2003 and has had tremendous success, continuing to be a best-seller for the past five Christmas seasons. Vila said that Editorial Portavoz had been very pleased with the initial response to the book: "It promises to become a new classic for Spanish-speaking children to read at Christmas."

The book is a collaborative effort by author Emily King and illustrator Ed Olson. They have also collaborated on two other English books in this series, Clopper and the Lost Boy and Clopper and the Night Travelers, both available in English from Kregel Publications.

For more information, call 877-733-2607 or go to www.portavoz.com.