It's Navidad, El Cucuy!

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Title:

It's Navidad, El Cucuy!

Author:

Higuera, Donna Barba, author.

Perdomo, Juliana, illustrator.

Abrams Books for Young Readers, publisher.

Summary:

Ramón is a little boy who can’t wait for Navidad. El Cucuy is the friendly monster who lives in Ramón’s bedroom. He’s not so sure that Christmas is for him. The lights are too bright, and the snowman is scary! So if El Cucuy is hesitant to embrace the holiday cheer, then Ramón will have to bring the spirit of Navidad to him. -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 4 to 8. Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 28 cm

Genre:

Christmas fiction.

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Monsters -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Author(s):

Perdomo, Juliana,

Added Corporate Author:

Abrams Books for Young Readers,

Publisher:

Abrams Books for Young Readers,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781419760136

Publication Information:

New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, [2023]

Call Number:

P HIGUERA

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003681916	Holiday Picture Books	HIGUERA	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A boy and his monster from under the bed celebrate Navidad--Christmas--in It's Navidad, El Cucuy! , a festive, bilingual picture book from Newbery Medal-winning author Donna Barba Higuera and illustrator Juliana Perdomo.

Ramón is a little boy who can't wait for Navidad.

El Cucuy is the friendly monster who lives in Ramón's bedroom. He's not so sure that Christmas is for him. The lights are too bright, and the snowman is scary!

So if El Cucuy is hesitant to embrace the holiday cheer, then Ramón will have to bring the spirit of Navidad to him.

A tender, heartwarming story about facing the unknown with a friend by your side, this companion to El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! explores the magic of the holidays and coming together as a community.

Features an overview of the traditions behind Las Posadas , a festival beginning on December 16th and ending on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) that is celebrated in Mexico and parts of Latin America and the United States.

Author Notes

Donna Barba Higuera grew up dodging dust devils in the oil fields of central California. She was a daydreamer, constantly blending life experiences and folklore into stories. Now she weaves them into picture books and novels. Higuera currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, four children, three dogs, and two frogs. El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! was her debut picture book, and she is also the author of the middle-grade novels The Last Cuentista , winner of the Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Award, and Lupe Wong Won't Dance , winner of a Pura Belpré Honor, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award.

Juliana Perdomo is a Colombian illustrator and writer with a background as a psychologist and art therapist. Her work is joyful and heartfelt, folkish, and a bit retro with a Latin touch. Perdomo lives in Bogotá, Colombia, with her amazing son, Luca, her rocker partner, Iván, and a funny old dog named Menta.

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-K--Ramón helps El Cucuy to overcome his fear of an unknown holiday. It's Christmas Eve, and Ramón, who recently moved to the United States from Mexico, wishes a "Happy Christmas" to his friend, El Cucuy. The problem is that El Cucuy is unfamiliar with this holiday, and for a monster who loves the dark, the Christmas lights and the snowman are too much for him. To add to this friendly monster's anxiety, it is also the last day of Las Posadas, a festival where people knock on neighbors' doors for nine nights, singing a song and requesting shelter in remembrance of the journey Joseph and Mary took when Jesus was born. This story, a companion to El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!, reinvents the urban legend of the Cucuy that takes children away when they misbehave. Full-spread illustrations include one to five lines of medium-size text per page. Interspersed Spanish language terms attest to the bilingualism of the main character as a new immigrant. Vivid digital art of stars, poinsettia flowers, snowflakes, and illustrations imitate confetti and paper-cut ornaments, and rely on Christmas colors to underscore cultural neighboring scenes. This straightforward narrative is perfect for a holiday story time that includes awareness of how other cultures celebrate Christmas. VERDICT A kindhearted Christmas story highlighting the power of friendship.--Kathia Ibacache