studies. To help bridge the learning gap, Soriano decided to personally bring books to the children. I saw two unemployed donkeys at home and had the idea -LSB- to use -RSB- them in my biblioburro project because they can carry a heavy load, Soriano said. I put the books on their backs in saddles and they became my work tools. Every Wednesday at dusk and every Saturday at dawn, Soriano leaves his wife and three young children to travel to select villages -- up to four hours each way -- aboard a donkey named Alfa. A second donkey, Beto, follows behind, toting additional books and a sitting blanket. They visit 15 villages on a rotating basis. It's not easy to travel through the valleys, Soriano said. You sit on a donkey for five or eight hours, you get very tired. It's a satisfaction to arrive to your destination. At each village, some 40-50 youngsters await their chance to get homework help, learn to read or listen to any variety of tall tales, adventure stories and geography lessons Soriano has prepared. You can just see that the kids are excited when they see the biblioburro coming this way. It makes them happy that he continues to come, said Dairo Holguin, 34, whose two children take part in the program. For us, his program complements what the children learn in school. The books they do not have access to... they get from the biblioburro. More than 4,000 youngsters