# Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built - Hardcover

by **Angela Burke Kunkel** (Author), **Paola Escobar** (Illustrator)

**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 Bogata, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Joses. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays-- that's the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second Jose 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 José́. 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 Jose 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.

### Author Biography

ANGELA BURKE KUNKEL is a school librarian who lives with her husband, two children, and two rescue pups on the banks of Otter Creek in Vermont. _Digging for Words_ is her debut. Visit her on the web at angelakunkel.com and on Twitter @angkunkel.

PAOLA ESCOBAR grew up traveling from town to town in Bogota, Colombia. She has published with SM Spain, Planeta, Norma, and more. Paola is the illustrator of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, an Indie Pick called a must-have for all libraries in a School Library Journal starred review. She lives with her husband and dog, Flora. Follow her on Instagram @paoesco8ar.

**Number of Pages:** 40

**Dimensions:** 0.3 x 11.2 x 9.4 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** September 08, 2020

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Digging for Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built

**Interest Level:** Lower Grades, K-3

**Reading Level:** 4

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23