Karina's Story

The Book Project

in conjunction with CANFRO’s partner, LIBROS para PUEBLOS

There are many ways to bring stories to life. Karina Orozco’s storytelling “superpower” is puppeteering. Karina’s family has been dedicated to the art of puppetry for more than 25 years. Her native town, Huamantla, in the state of Tlaxcala, is known as the birthplace of puppets in Mexico, an artform that she says dates back to prehispanic times. It is also home to MUNATI, the National Puppet Museum of Mexico, with a collection from all over the world.

Storytelling was the soundtrack of Karina’s childhood. Every afternoon her father would meet with the whole family to tell them fantastic stories, and she and her brothers would play at being the characters, one day a princess, next a bird in flight, another time a fantastic animal. Her love of literature grew out of these experiences. Eventually she worked in Educational Services at the National Puppet Museum. She also worked at EDUSAT (Educational Television System) and at the educational TV program Sesame Street (Mexico).

Now the Library Coordinator in the government administration of San Pedro y San Pablo Teposcolula in the Mixteca, Karina became a Regional Coordinator with Libros para Pueblos in 2012. All her experience comes together in her reading promotion work. Puppets are a natural bridge to reading. First, she says, they evoke empathy in audiences. Also, puppet theatre often represents stories that are mostly found in the pages of books, and this helps awaken a child’s interest in reading. She points out “many children know books because they have to read them at school, but they are unaware of other types of books in which they can find adventure, fantasy, love, creativity.”

As an LpP Regional Coordinator, Karina is motivated by her memories of a wonderful childhood with books. She hopes that the communities that benefit from LpP libraries realize the effort that LpP makes to help children become regular readers. She says, “our intention is that readers can see life in a different way, thanks to reading… they can always find in books answers that help them to be better people.”