Impact

The Pura Belpré award has helped more Latin authors and illustrators be recognized. In 2016, for the first time since 1982, a picture book, "Last Stop On Market Street" by Matt DeLaPeña, won a Newbery Medal and even more notable it was the first time in the history of the Newbery Award, that a Latino author was recognized. Also in 2016, "many of this year’s glass ceiling–breaking authors and illustrators were first recognized by the Pura Belpré Awards" (Terrones, 2016). It seems that the Pura Belpré award has highlighted many Latin authors and illustrators enough to make their names be "household names," names that readers commonly recognize.

The number of Latino authors and illustrators has been growing; they aren't just illustrating or writing books, they are doing so where they highlight the Latino culture in their medium. Bookstores show so much diversity and this award shines a spotlight on books that may not have gotten any recognition in the past. Highlighting Latin authors and illustrators is important because the world that we live in is diverse, the same way that the authors and illustrators are diverse. "Along with the visibility and affirmation of diverse voices that come with these awards, it is additionally important to consider the concentric circles that emerge from these “firsts” in children’s literature. Just as Pura Belpré took her message beyond traditional library walls to reach under-served communities, the potential impact that these books by people of color have in the broader community is immense and indelible. The celebration and acclaim that these narratives have received ensures that educators and librarians will use them in their day-to-day programs and classrooms and, in so doing, promote the idea that books that reflect ethnicity as an asset should be championed" (Terrones, 2016). We, as members of the community, librarians and media specialists, need to ensure that our children have books that are written and illustrated by people that look like them.