How to Build Your Own Bibliobandido!
Dear Librarians and Educators,
Ever since I was little, I wanted to be an artist and a teacher. Even though some kids didn’t like school or pretended not to, I always loved reading and creating and bonded with others who respected the process of learning. Although reading came relatively easy to me, as the daughter of two immigrant parents (from China and Ecuador), I recognized my educational privilege and always sought to find new techniques to share this joy with other kids. Twenty five years ago, I began developing arts-based curricula that activated all kinds of intelligence and build the literary confidence of diverse learners.
The Bibliobandido legend thrives when people like you adopt and adapt the legend. Below are the best practices that I honed with over 10,000 kids teaching in afterschool and in-school programs as well as tips I’ve gleaned from librarians and educators. I am so excited to share these and would love to hear from you! Feel free to email me directly (marisa@studiorev.org) or use the hashtag on social media #bibliobandido so I can find you and amplify your work!
Warmly,
Marisa
Tips for Mood Setting
To plant excitement, create (draw, collage, trace) your own “Wanted” posters for Bibliobandido. Previous versions in Spanish said some- thing like: Cuidado! Peligro! Bibliobandido - Story Eater! (in English: Beware! Danger! Bibliobandido - Story Eater).
Wanna get others involved in legend-making? Invite youth to help create or even just color in the posters. Then invite them to place them in visible spots throughout the library or school to pique interest and announce the time of BB’s arrival. Hang them at the eye level of little kids ages 9 and under, who are most likely to believe in Bibliobandido.
Tips for Suiting Up
Our story-eating villain generally wears a black hat with a red ribbon, black or grey vest, red eye mask, grey bandana, black gloves, black or blue jeans, and black gloves.
We recommend using a black XL sized shirt and stuffing it with pillows. Sometimes people like to add in details (use red, yellow, grey, black).
Adapt and improvise BB’s costume, flavor it with local customs! Do keep the black hat and red eye mask so that he connects with other Bibliobandidos world-wide.
Bibliobandido can be played by any gender. Some communities have Bibliobandidas (female identifying) and Bibliobandidx (gender non-binary).
Kids love putting on the costume!
Important!!
If you say that Bibliobandido (or “BB” for short) eats BOOKS then kids get caught up in the finer details like “Well, does
he digest the paper or what? What does his poop look like?” If instead you say that BB eats STORIES then the process remains abstract, metaphorical and conveniently ambiguous. You can also say:
You can also say, “I don’t know how he exactly eats stories. All I know is that we all love a good story but this BB just takes it one step farther.”
Turn the question into another question and ask, “Well really at heart of a good book is a story. What do you think it means to eat stories?”
Tips for World-Building
People invented these magical characters based on local lore and legend!
Getaway Vehicle: In Honduras, Bibliobandido came to town riding a burro. In New York City, he dashes away on the subway. In other communities, Bibliobandido has an invisible getaway horse that he parks outside the library or school. This horse sometimes neighs when the authorities are nearing or if it’s time to go.
The Authorities: In some communities, authority figures such as the police, inspectors, principals, head librarians, archivists wearing some kind of special uniform come in, pretend- ing as if they were hot on BB’s trail. Authority figure can share “clues” and ask kids to help decode them. Written clues or maps offers an opportunity for kids to practice reading!
Corroborators: It’s fun for grown-ups to play along with Bibliobandido and help make him a real living legend. In Honduras, shop-owners, farmers, and mommies each play their role by pretending that they saw Bibliobandido dash by on his horse, that he paid them a visit, that they could hear his tummy rumbling from far away, etc.
Negotiator: Often times there is one person who is designated to negotiate with Bibliobandido. This person selflessly, despite their fear, hands over offerings, “understands” Bib- liobandido’s silent gestures, and whispers in the villain’s ear.
Bystanders: Grown ups and kids alike should pretend to cower in fear. Demonstrating fear makes little kids wonder if Bibliobandido isn’t actually real.
Patron Saints: It’s fun for each local community, library, or school
to have their own patron saint. The most fun patron saints eat stories themselves and are also mischievous.
Tips for Activities
The kinds of literacies that communities need and/or want to strengthen will vary. They might include:
Link to 3 simple books to creating using 8x11 sheets of paper.
Dramaturgy: Invite kids to create skits enacting a key moment in a Bibliobandido episode.
Digital Literacy: I’ve collaborated with the Seattle Public Library to create curricula layering in digital media literacies including paper circuitry, digital journalism, and more.
Handwriting and Orthography: Some communities need to strengthen hand-eye coordination and letter identification. Practicing writing simple words and drawing does the trick!
Pre-numeracy and Pre-literacy: For toddlers, identifying colors and numbers builds the foundation for literacy!
Storycrafting: Deconstruct the parts of a story so kids learn the different steps. I personally like to start with the middle (the apex or climax) or a story, then create the beginning, and then the end.
Oral Storytelling: Ask kids to practice sharing out their stories with each other so they build their confidence before Bibliobandido arrives. They then feel more prepared to share their stories in front of a crown and build public speaking skills.
Storyboarding: Laying out the steps and stages of a story
Character-building: Imagining aspects of a character, creating new characters, building out their relationships and the storyworld
Set and prop design: Invite kids to imagine and create props, sets, diaramas, costumes, sketches of scenes, and more.