There's a Coqui in My Shoe

There's a Coqui in My Shoe! is written by Pennsylvania author Marisa de Jesus Paolicelli and illustrated by Arizona artist Tanja Bauerle. The book is published by Chi Chi Rodriguez Books, a company under the auspices of the famous golfer dedicated to picture books for children of all backgrounds that celebrate the color and culture of Puerto Rico.

In this story, a young boy named Armando surprisingly discovers a coquí in his red shoe. Carlito the Coquí is lost and cannot find his way home to the rain forest. Armando befriends Carlito and anxiously waits for the following day to accompany his mother, Lola, to sell their pushcart of piraguas to Puerto Rican children. The book is full of yummy tastes, bright colors, and dramatic sounds, and in breathtaking illustrations, splendidly captures the vibrant color, culture, flora, and fauna of the island. Here's an educational and entertaining lesson, not only on Puerto Rico's beloved amphibian, the Eleutherodactylus coqui, but also on Puerto Rico's environment, geography, history and culture.

The entire book is filled with the wonderful, colorful illustrations of Tanja Bauerle.  There are also several appendices with references, other fun facts and a complete list of the 17 known species of coquís. (Yes! A new one has recently been identified and named, and is included in the second printing of the book.)

English with some Spanish words. Hardcover. Perfect for a home or school library.  For children ages 5 - 12.

This book won BEST EDUCATIONAL CHILDREN'S BOOK - ENGLISH at the 10th Annual International Latino Book Awards.   In addition, it tied for 2nd Place in the category of BEST CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK - ENGLISH. The awards were presented during Book Expo America (the largest book expo in the country) on May 29, 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. These awards honor literary excellence in a variety of categories.