Product Description 
A boy and his monster confront their mutual fears in this unlikely friendship story that’s rooted in Mexican folklore\nRamón is a little boy who can’t sleep. He is nervous for his first day at a new school. 
 And El Cucuy is the monster who lives in Ramón’s cactus pot. He can’t sleep, either. 
 It turns out that El Cucuy is scared, too! 
 This gentle, perceptive story explores the worries that can accompany moving to a new place and beginning a new journey—and reveals how comfort, bravery, and strength can be found through even the most unexpected of friendships.\nFrom School Library Journal 
PreS-Gr 2—Ramón and El Cucuy share a bedroom, with El Cucuy making his home in a small cactus pot. After leaving their home for New York, these two unusual roommates begin to share their fears with one another. Ramón wonders whether his new school will be different from his old one. What about the students there, will they be friendly? El Cucuy wonders whether there will be enough hiding spots for him. What if he can't find a small, quiet space? Ramón and El Cucuy share memories of what life was like before—how Ramón was brave and able to ignore El Cucuy with a song, and how El Cucuy made his eyes glow red and howled in the night. Fun, colorful illustrations bring to life a legendary creature from Latin American folklore, and paint fears and worries in a different light. The short text, mostly a conversation between the boy and El Cucuy, calmly explores the worries that come with changes, such as moving to a new city, starting at a new school, and making new friends. A unique picture book featuring two very unlikely friends who show young readers the importance of supporting one another and discover that everyone has fears of their own. VERDICT A sweet choice for most picture book collections.—Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston 
 Review 
"Higuera fluidly intersperses Spanish words throughout the text, and their meanings can be inferred from context... These additions grant a depth to Ramón’s backstory and show his individuality while highlighting the differences he may encounter in his unfamiliar environment. Perdomo’s digital illustrations in vibrant hues pay homage to Ramón’s heritage. " ― 
The Horn Book Magazine\n"This exploration of children in transition reminds readers that change can make even El Cucuy insecure." ― 
Kirkus Reviews 
 About the Author 
Donna Barba Higuera grew up dodging dust devils in the oilfields 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 among the spiraling mists of the Pacific Northwest with her husband, four children, three dogs, two frogs, and hundreds of wild birds who flock to her backyard birdfeeders every day. 
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! is her debut picture book. She is also the author of the middle-grade novel 
Lupe Wong Won’t Dance. 
 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. She has participated in different projects as an illustrator, this book being her debut in the United States. Perdomo lives in Bogotá, Colombia, with her amazing son Luca and a crazy old dog named Menta.

El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!: A Picture Book

Children's Books

Barba Higuera, Donna

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

Harry N. Abrams

It's Navidad, El Cucuy!: A Bilingual Christmas Picture Book

A child confronts conflicting feelings of embarrassment and love for her Mexican abuela in this moving, personal story from Newbery- and Pura Belpré Award–winning author Donna Barba Higuera\nMy abuela wears an old yellow handkerchief that her grandmother gave to her. 
I don’t like the yellow handkerchief.\nWhen a young girl feels ashamed of her family for being “different” and subconsciously blames her abuela, she gradually grows to not only accept but also love the yellow handkerchief that represents a language and culture that once brought embarrassment.\nInspired by the personal experiences of award-winning author Donna Barba Higuera and expressively illustrated by Cynthia Alonso, The Yellow Handkerchief is a lyrical, honest, and intimate intergenerational story about embracing who we are, where we come from, and the people who shape us.

The Yellow Handkerchief (El pañuelo amarillo): A Picture Book

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Un niño y su monstruo confrontan sus miedos compartidos en una improbable historia de amistad, con raíces mexicanas.\nRamón es un niño pequeño y está tan asustado por el primer día en una nueva escuela que no puede dormir. El Cucuy, que es un monstruo que vive en la maceta de su cactus, tampoco puede dormir. ¡El Cucuy también tiene miedo!\nEsta dulce y sensible historia nos habla de la angustia de empezar un nuevo viaje, pero también nos demuestra que en las amistades más inesperadas pueden encontrarse el bienestar, la fortaleza y el valor.\nENGLISH DESCRIPTION\nA boy and his monster confront their mutual fears in this unlikely friendship story that’s rooted in Mexican folklore\nRamón is a little boy who can’t sleep. He is nervous for his first day at a new school. And El Cucuy is the monster who lives in Ramón’s cactus pot. He can’t sleep, either.\nIt turns out that El Cucuy is scared, too!\nThis gentle, perceptive story explores the worries that can accompany moving to a new place and beginning a new journey—and reveals how comfort, bravery, and strength can be found through even the most unexpected of friendships.

¡El Cucuy también tiene miedo! / El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! (Spanish Edition)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Vintage Espanol

El pañuelo amarillo / The Yellow Handkerchief (Spanish Edition)

PURA BELPRÉ HONOR WINNER BEST OF THE YEAR New York Times · Kirkus · Booklist · Chicago Public Library The follow-up to Newbery and Pura Belpré Award-winning The Last Cuentista For 400 years, Earth has been a barren wasteland. The few humans that survive scrape together an existence in the cruel city of Pocatel - or go it alone in the wilderness beyond, filled with wandering spirits and wyrms. They don't last long. 13 year-old pickpocket Leandro and his sister Gabi do what they can to forge a life in Pocatel. The city does not take kindly to Cascabel like them - the descendants of those who worked the San Joaquin Valley for generations. When Gabi is caught stealing precious fruit from the Pocatelan elite, Leando takes the fall. But his exile proves more than he ever could have imagined - far from a simple banishent, his consciousness is placed inside an ancient drone and left to fend on its own. But beyond the walls of Pocatel lie other alebrijes like Leandro who seek for a better world - as well as mutant monsters, wasteland pirates, a hidden oasis, and the truth. From Donna Barba Higuera, Newbery and Pura Belpré Medal-winning author of The Last Cuentista, comes another novel to astonish us and create a whole new imaginative world, that holds a mirror to our own. 7 STARRED REVIEWS - "An instant classic." -School Library Journal (starred) - "Breathtaking. . . A ferociously epic and beautiful middle-grade dystopian novel." -Shelf Awareness (starred) - "Combines humanity and technology with imaginative splendor." -Foreword (starred) - "This heartfelt adventure signals hope for humanity, even in the aftermath of darkness." -Kirkus (starred) - "High-stakes adventure. . . Beautiful, imaginative writing fills this dystopian sf novel. Though it exposes cruelty and corruption, it raises up storytelling, culture, and kindness as stronger yet. . . A wondrous addition to any collection." -Booklist (starred) - "This stellar speculative narrative explores themes of identity across circumstance, centering an adolescent without structural power working to protect family and community." -Publishers Weekly (starred) - "Higuera brilliantly balances the heaviness of a dystopian future of a ruined Earth with her own blend of science fiction and Mexican folkloric elements once Leandro leaves his human body. . . Leandro and his unflinching dedication to an uplifting view of humanity that will spark engagement from the first page and linger in the minds of readers well after they finish the novel." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred) "With its social and environmental commentary, this fast-paced and imaginative novel tackles issues of deception and control and leaves one with a sense of wonder that a single flap of a wing or a solitary voice can bring about unimaginable change." -Horn Book

Alebrijes: Cuentista Book II (The Last Cuentista, 2)

Levine Querido

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Books by Barba Higuera, Donna