Welcome to the 2001
Día de los niños / Día de los libros
Events Page!

2001 Press Release (Issued by Austin Public Library)

2001 Informational Flyer (In English and Spanish)

2001 Día de los niños / Día de los libros Poster

We thank the following 2001 Día de los niños / Día de los libros sponsors:

2001 Día de los niños / Día de los libros Performers:

This year, we are pleased to have Carmen Tafolla, Margarita Robleda Moguel, Magdalena Sofia Cardenas Garcia, Irene Gonzales, and Consuelo Samarripa as our featured author-performers and storytellers.

CARMEN TAFOLLA:  A native of San Antonio, Carmen Tafolla is an award-winning poet, children's author, storyteller/performance artist, former professor, and educational consultant; her most recent title for children is The Baby Coyote and the Old Woman / El coyotito y la viejita.  A dynamic, much-sought performer, Ms. Tafolla's Austin visit will include a workshop at Americo Paredes Middle School and readings at Día de los niños / Día de los libros.  Tafolla has authored four books of poetry, including her latest,"Sonnets and Salsa"; seven television screenplays; a book on racism, sexism, and Chicana women; and numerous short stories, articles, and children's books.  Author Alex Haley once called Tafolla a "world-class writer."  Her visit is co-sponsored by the UT Center for Mexican American Studies.

MARGARITA ROBLEDA MOGUEL:  An accomplished children's author and musician from Mexico City, Margarita Robleda Moguel's bilingual performances incorporate traditional Mexican music, children's games, and stories that encourage audience participation from children and parents.  This is Ms. Robleda Moguel's third visit to Austin's Día de los niños / Día de los libros, and she is an audience favorite.  Her visit is sponsored by Scott Foresman Educational Publishing, which provides textbooks used by many Austin school children.

MAGDALENA SOFIA CARDENAS GARCIA:  As executive director of Museo del Desierto, Coahuila, Ms. Cardenas García launched an innovative museum education program to prepare children as museum docents.  She will read from her children's books, and take part in a book exchange with the Austin Public Library and city leaders.  Saltillo and Austin have sister libraries through the international sister libaries program.

IRENE GONZALES:  Austinites recognize Irene Gonzales for her teatro roles, in particular as the beloved senior citizen known as "Petra."  Most recently, she played the role of Carmen, the mother, in "Real Women Have Curves" at San Antonio's Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.  With extensive credits in film, videos, and television work, she currently is working in the movie "The Rookie," starring Dennis Quaid.  Storytelling assignments have taken her to San Antonio where she told Indian tales for the Witte Musuem and J.T. Brackenridge Elementary.  As an artist-in-residence with La Casa de la Cultura in Del Rio, she directed youth in a highly successful production of "Mexican Folk Tales."  In Austin, she has performed as a storyteller at Travis Elementary School where the students voted her Favorite Storyteller, and at the Austin Children's Museum, Book People, Las Manitas, Dougherty Arts Center, ACTV, and at Cepeda and Terrazas Branch Libraries.

CONSUELO SAMARRIPA:  As a second-generation Texas native born in the West Side barrios of San Antonio, Consuelo Samarripa shares history, folklore, folktales, personal stories, shared heritage stories, and poetry in both English and Spanish.  Ms. Samarripa was the producer of the first Hispanic Storytelling Concert in Austin, and she has performed at the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio; Texas Folklife 1996 and 1997; the Texas Book Festival; and the Tejas Storytelling Festival, among other events.  She is currently on the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster 2001-2003.

In addition to our featured author-performers and storytellers, we would also like to welcome many other entertainers to this year's event.  The following is a complete schedule for the day's activities:

The following community organizations are sponsoring informational and educational enrichment booths at this year's event:
AmeriCorps for Community Engagement & Education, Austin Children's Museum, Austin Public Library, AVANCE—Austin, Child, Inc., Circle the Earth 2000, COA School Based Clinic at Widén, Connections Resource Center, Consulado General de México, Dove Springs Recreation Center, Dove Springs WIC, East Austin Neighborhood Center, Girl Scouts—Lone Star Council, KLRU--PBS, K-READ, Latina Mamis, LifeWorks, Parents As Teachers—Widén Elementary, Reach Out & Read, Reading Is Fundamental of Austin, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, River City Youth Foundation, Texas Star Program, Travis County Drinking Prevention & Education Program, & others.

2001 Día de los niños / Día de los libros partners:
REFORMA, NABE, Austin Public Library, AmeriCorps for Community Engagement and Education at the University of Texas, Austin Children's Museum, Austin Independent School District UT Center for Mexican American Studies, Child, Inc., Connections Resource Center, Girl Scouts-Lone Star Council, KLRU-PBS, K-Read, LifeWorks, Reach Out & Read, Reading is Fundamental of Austin, Texas Family Literacy Center-UT College of Education.

2001 Día de los niños / Día de los libros invited guests and dignataries:
Austin Public Library Director Brenda Branch, Mayor Pro-tem Jackie Goodman, City Council Member Raúl Alvarez, Gloria Mata Pennington of Sister Cities/Saltillo, Consul in Charge, Consulate General of Mexico Vincente Sánchez Ventura, Travis county Clerk Amalia Rodríguez Mendoza

2001 Día de los niños / Día de los libros donors:
McDonald's, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Starbucks Coffee, Mr. Gatti's Pizza, Peter Piper Pizza, Whole Foods Bake House, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Upper Crust Bakery, Long John Silvers, Chick-Fil-A, Randall's, Burger King, Grandy's, Hollywood Video, Blockbuster Video, Best-Buy, Music Mania, Regal Metropolitan Theaters, Romeo's