Pepita Meets Bebita/ Pepita y Bebita

By Ruth Behar and Gabriel Frye-Behar.

Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga.

Publisher: ‎ Knopf Books for Young Readers

Hardcover: ‎ 40 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 059356698X

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0593566985

Reading age: ‎ 4 - 8 years

When dog meets baby, it will take a little time and a lot of love for Pepita and Bebita to become the best of friends.

Welcoming a new baby can be hard, especially when you’re used to being the center of attention! When it’s time for Pepita, the puppy of the family, to meet the brand new bebita, she’s in for a few surprises. What do you mean that Mami is too busy to bounce a ball for Pepita? And Papi seriously can't find any time to scratch her ears? This new bebita is a bit of a problem....

But along the way, the two will grow to love one another and become a family with even more smiles and heartwarming moments. From award-winning author Ruth Behar and her son, Gabriel Frye-Behar, comes a true-to-life story about adjusting to new additions and embracing change.

Cuando la perrita Pepita y la bebé, Bebita, se conocen, necesitarán algo de tiempo y mucho amor para convertirse en las mejores amigas.

Darle la bienvenida a un nuevo bebé puede ser difícil, ¡especialmente cuando estás acostumbrado a ser el centro de atención! Cuando Pepita, la cachorra de la familia, conoce a la nueva bebita, se lleva algunas sorpresas. ¿Qué significa que ahora Mami esté demasiado ocupada para lanzarle una pelota a Pepita? ¿Y Papi en serio no encuentra tiempo para rascarle las orejas? Esta nueva bebita es un problema...

Pero sobre la marcha, las dos llegarán a quererse y a convertirse en una familia con muchas más sonrisas y momentos conmovedores. De la galardonada escritora Ruth Behar y su hijo, Gabriel Frye-Behar, llega una historia real sobre cómo adaptarse a la llegada de nuevos miembros y cómo aceptar el cambio.

Review

"A heartwarming reminder to embrace change." —Kirkus Reviews

"Pepita makes an excellent (and adorable) stand-in for new big siblings of the human variety, who might also be wrestling with the challenges of losing the spotlight and reveling in the reward of a sweet, new, babbling, giggling friend." —The Bulletin

Ruth Behar is an acclaimed author of adult fiction and nonfiction, and Lucky Broken Girl--winner of the Pura Belpre Award--is her first book for young readers. She was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York, and has lived and worked in Spain and Mexico. Her honors include a MacArthur "Genius" Award, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Senior Fellowship, and a Distinguished Alumna Award from Wesleyan University.

Gabriel Frye-Behar is a Brooklyn based writer, filmmaker and photographer. He has a BFA in Film & TV Production from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. He currently teaches in the Drama Department at NYU/Tisch. This is his first picture book and he and his wife can’t wait to share it with their own lovely pepita and bebita.

Maribel Lechuga is the illustrator of many children's books, including Ten Beautiful Things and Seaside Stroll. Her recent project, What's in Your Pocket?, received two starred reviews. Maribel loves the environment and animals and recharges her batteries by hiking through the Spanish hills.