Coquí in the City

March 29, 2021
Coquí, a tiny, smiling green frog, is Miguel’s beloved pet in San Juan; Miguel takes Coquí everywhere, considering the amphibian “part of the familia.” But when Mamá and Papá inform Miguel, who has light brown skin, that they’re moving to the U.S. mainland, Miguel must leave Coquí behind “in the gentle hands of his abuelo.” An eye-catching spread shows a cutaway of Miguel and his parents sitting on a plane, gazing at a colorfully airbrushed New York city-scape. Though “the newness of everything was overwhelming,” Miguel soon finds familiar elements—the sound of frogs and the game of baseball in a park, and the flavors of home in a panadería. Contextual clues keep the text of Perez’s gentle solo debut accessible to non-Spanish speakers, while glossy, vivid spreads bring Miguel’s entwined trepidation and awe to life, resulting in a reassuring narrative. Ages 3–7.