DE CORA

Diaz’s picture book celebrates visiting family members who live far away.

Young New Yorker Noah is excited to leave for a Christmas vacation in Puerto Rico, where family members live. Noah’s friend, Tito the coqui (a small frog), is coming, too. Tito stowed away in Noah’s luggage when he came from Puerto Rico the year before, and he’s excited to go home. Noah isn’t entirely fluent in Spanish, but he’s excited to use what he knows during his trip. After arriving, the family visits El Morro in Old San Juan and gets snow cone–like piraguas. At the beach, Noah has trouble ordering snacks in Spanish, and other kids tease him for not being a “real” Puerto Rican. Later, Abuela helpfully explains that where a person lives doesn’t negate their culture, and Noah finally feels at home with his Boricua family. Readers will find this to be a relatable story about family and fitting in. Kuba’s full-color cartoon illustrations are realistic and skillfully done. The backgrounds are full of detail, and the characters are diverse in many ways; the images include small details such as facial jewelry, as well as varied skin tones and body shapes. Tito has his own adventure in the background of the story, which readers can also follow. A fair amount of clear Spanish vocabulary is included.

A well-illustrated and accessible travel tale.