Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. - (Baker & Taylor)

Carlitos lives happily with his mother and grandmother in the town of Cataäno, but he misses his father and goes across the bay to San Juan to look for him. - (Baker & Taylor)

RECIPIENT OF THE PURA BELPRÉ ILLUSTRATOR HONOR

Author-illustrator Carlos Aponte takes readers on a journey to the heart of Puerto Rico in this enchanting picture book set in Old San Juan.

"A lively and honest story about filling voids and exploring what defines a family--as well as a love letter to a childhood home."--Horn Book

Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. Jolly piragüeros, mischievous cats, and costumed musicians color this tale of love, family, and the true meaning of home. - (Penguin Putnam)

Carlos Aponte is an artist, designer, and author-illustrator of the children's book A Season to Bee. His fashion illustrations, inspired by the great Antonio Lopez and Jack Potter, have been featured in Laird Borelli's Fashion Illustration Next, Bil Donovan's Advanced Fashion Drawing, Tony Glenville's The New Icons of Fashion Illustration, and Richard Kilroy's Menswear Illustration. Carlos is a faculty member at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He lives in Jersey City with his partner, Christopher, and a French pointer named Rex. - (Penguin Putnam)

Booklist Reviews

Carlitos lives with his mother and his abuela in Cataño, Puerto Rico. Though he's happy in his cozy house, his family is different because his father is gone, living somewhere across the bay in San Juan. An idea forms: he'll bring a photo of his father and take the ferry to the capital. He shows the picture to strangers, and some offer suggestions. He wanders until the only place left to look is the El Morro castle. But there's no Papi, and his photo is lost. The kind words of a park ranger offer solace: no matter the dark clouds, the sun will eventually return. Aponte does a fine job of taking on a poignant problem without overwhelming the story with sadness. Much of the heavy lifting is done by the effusive art, done in the style of mid-century artwork, with thick lines around fancifully shaped characters, including hidden gems like the cats that follow Carlitos. The lushly colored art is suffused with an animation that reminds readers that life is always moving, a good lesson for any age group. Preschool-Grade 1. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.