In their first collaboration since the Newbery Medal- and Caldecott Honor-winning Last Stop on Market Street, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson deliver a poignant and timely new picture book that’s sure to be an instant classic.
When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panaderia, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make . . .
With lyrical, stirring text and stunning, evocative artwork, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson have crafted a moving ode to family, to dreamers, and to finding hope in the most unexpected places.
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
An Amazon Most Anticipated Fall Book – Ages 3 to 5
An Amazon Best of the Month Pick October 2018 – Ages 3 to 5
An Amazon Editor’s Gift Pick – Ages 3 to 5
A Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Children’s Book – Fall 2018
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2018
A Boston Globe Best Children’s Book of 2018
Four Starred Reviews
Reviews:
★ “The award-winning team behind Last Stop on Market Street portrays Carmela’s Spanish-speaking community as a vibrant place of possibility, and Robinson’s acrylic-and-cutout spreads introduce readers to street vendors, workers in the fields, and sweeping views of the sea. Sensitively conceived and exuberantly executed, Carmela’s story shines.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “This second de la Peña-Robinson collaboration after Last Stop on Market Street is no less powerful and beautiful. It touches on immigration, class, and loss without belaboring each. And it’s full of rich details, sharp and restrained writing, and acrylic paintings that look textured enough to rise off the page. It’s another near-perfect slice of life from a duo that has found a way to spotlight underrepresented children without forgetting that they are children first.”—Kirkus, starred review
★ “Carmela’s journey of wishing, waiting, and wanting resonates on many levels; an important addition to bookshelves everywhere.”—School Library Journal, starred review
★ “[A] beautiful book about the love of siblings and community. . . . A must read for everyone.”—School Library Connection, starred review