New Children's Books From Piñata Books/ Arte Público Press

Estrellita en la ciudad grande
Estrellita in the Big City
By Samuel Caraballo (Author)

ISBN 9781558854987
Category Picture Book
Published 31 Oct 2008
Bind Hardcover
Pages 32
Price $ 15.95
Age Group 4-9

A young girl recounts her experiences in the Big Apple to her Abuela in this homage to loved ones who stay behind

“Hola, Abuelita. It’s me, Estrellita!” And so begins the phone conversation that Estrellita and her beloved grandmother have longed for since Estrellita moved from her beautiful island home of Puerto Rico to New York City.

Estrellita regales her grandmother with stories of the exciting sights and sounds of the big city: her first ride on a subway train into Manhattan and the fascinating underground city where you can buy anything—“even clothes and shoes”— and listen to musicians perform at all hours; the hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue, where people, yellow cabs, and buses rush up and down; the Empire State Building that “was SO tall that I thought it was going to fall on me!”; Rockefeller Center with its glass-covered buildings that reach into the sky; and the Verrazano Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspended bridges that looked “as if it had no end.”

As exciting as the tourist attractions are to Estrellita and her father, El Barrio, a neighborhood where everybody speaks Spanish, is just as thrilling. There’s a restaurant called Rincón, just like the town in Puerto Rico, and a music store called La Casita Latina. Estrellita and her family sing Abuela’s favorite song, “En mi viejo San Juan,” and Estrellita is reminded once again of how much she misses her grandmother. But she is comforted by her phone conversation with Abuela and knows she’ll talk to Abuela again soon. And maybe some day Abuela will come to visit Estrellita in the big city!

In this lively sequel to Estrellita se despide de su isla / Estrellita Says Good-bye to Her Island, author Samuel Caraballo and illustrator Pablo Torrecilla team up again to depict the loving relationship between a young girl and her grandmother. Torrecilla’s exquisite illustrations of Abuela on the phone in tranquil Puerto Rico contrast superbly with those of Estrellita set against the backdrop of a vibrant and busy New York City. Readers of all ages will relate to a young girl’s love for her grandmother, while children ages 4 to 9 who have been separated from family will empathize with—and be reassured by—Estrellita’s experiences in a new city.

Pepita on Pepper Street /
Pepita en la calle Pepper
By Ofelia Dumas Lachtman (Author)

ISBN 9781558854437
Category Picture Book
Published 31 Oct 2008
Bind Hardcover
Pages 32
Price $ 15.95
Age Group 3-7

The intrepid Pepita is back with another entertaining tale for children about making new friends

Pepita is almost always happy. But she isn’t today. She’s not happy because everything is different on her new street. There’s no familiar grocery store on the corner, and no tortilla shop squeezed right next to it. Tía Rosa’s house isn’t down the street, and worst of all, her best friend Sonya no longer lives right next door. Pepita is definitely not happy about her move to Pepper Street.

But her dog Lobo doesn’t mind the new neighborhood, and in fact, he likes the new smells he encounters as Pepita walks him up and down the street. He even wags his tail at the new people they meet: Mrs. Green, who wears a straw hat while weeding her rose garden; Mrs. Becker, who paints the pepper trees, and her dog, Blackie; and José, the mailman, who hopes Lobo won’t bite him. Soon, Pepita realizes that her father’s suggestion—“the best way to stop feeling new is to get to know people”—is good advice. And when a girl with bright red hair named Katie Ann comes by to visit, Pepita learns that making new friends isn’t so hard after all.

This colorful bilingual picture book focuses on the tough transition that many kids make: adjusting to a new neighborhood and making new friends. Readers ages 3 to 7 will root for plucky Pepita as she learns to like life on Pepper Street.

It’s Bedtime, Cucuy /
A la cama, Cucuy
By Claudia Galindo (Author)
Johnathan Coombs (Illustrator)
John Pluecker (Spanish Translator)

ISBN 9781558854918
Category Picture Book
Published 31 Aug 2008
Bind Hardcover
Pages 32
Price $ 15.95
Age Group 3-7

Little Cucuy is back in this entertaining bilingual picture book that touches on a subject familiar to all children and their parents

Like many human children, Cucuy, the little monster, doesn’t like to go to bed. “I’m not sleepy,” he says. “All I want to do is jump around and play!”

He tries to run and hide, but Mamá manages to get him into his pajamas. Every night he kicks and screams, wiggles and jiggles, mumbles and grumbles. He’s hungry, he’s thirsty. He needs to go to the bathroom. But Mamá won’t give in. “Tomorrow you will have a whole new day to jump around and play,” she tells her little monster, until finally he … drifts … off … to … sleep.

Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in the travails of poor Cucuy, the little monster who doesn’t like to go to sleep. And they might just see themselves as Cucuy protests but ultimately does fall asleep. Author Claudia Galindo and illustrator Jonathan Coombs once again collaborate on an entertaining picture book for children.