Coquí in the City

January 1, 2021
When Miguel leaves the island of Puerto Rico for the mainland U.S., he worries about all the things he'll miss--most of all, his pet frog, Coqu�. In San Juan, Miguel takes Coqu� everywhere: to play baseball with his friends, to visit the pond in the park, to buy his favorite snack at the bakery, or to visit his abuelos. But when his parents tell him they are moving to the mainland, he worries. Won't he miss Coqu�, flying kites, his grandparents, and taking part in Christmas festivities? In New York, Miguel and his mother explore a neighborhood "full of interesting sights, sounds, and people." And though Spanish words are around them, so too are other unfamiliar languages. Soon they discover a pond with frogs, a food cart selling empanadillas, a baseball field, and a bakery that sells his favorite snack. As Miguel drifts off to sleep he realizes Puerto Rico will always be with him, in his heart--and though some things in New York are different, some are the same. Perez's illustrations depict a multiethnic, multicultural New York that is just as colorful, vibrant, and upbeat as the city back home. Miguel and his family have light brown skin and dark hair. A Spanish version, De aqu� como el coqu�, publishes simultaneously, ably translated by Farah Perez. The happy and positive message that not all new beginnings are to be feared is a welcome one. (Picture book. 4-6)

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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.