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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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THE COT IN THE LIVING ROOM

Hilda Eunice Burgos Gaby D'Alessandro

A young girl in New York City moves from jealousy to empathy as her parents babysit children whose families work the overnight shift in this honest and warm picture book debut.
Night after night, a young girl watches her mami set up a cot in the living room for guests in their Washington Heights apartment, like Raquel (who's boring) and Edgardo (who gets crumbs everywhere). She resents that they get the entire living room with a view of the George Washington Bridge, while all she gets is a tiny bedroom with a view of her sister (who snores). Until one night, no one comes, and it's finally her chance! But as it turns out, sleeping in the cot in the living room isn't all she thought it would be.

With charming text by Hilda Eunice Burgos and whimsical illustrations by Gaby D'Alessandro, The Cot in the Living Room is a celebration of the ways a Dominican American community takes care of one another while showing young readers that sometimes the best way to be a better neighbor is by imagining how it feels to spend a night sleeping on someone else's pillow.

Hilda Eunice Burgos is the author of the middle grade novel Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle (Lee&Low). Her parents emigrated from the Dominican Republic before she was born, and she grew up in Washington Heights as one of four sisters. She now lives with her family near Philadelphia, where she works as an environmental lawyer.
Gaby D'Alessandro is a Dominican illustrator based in Brooklyn. She attended Altos de Chavón in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York to complete her degree in Illustration at Parsons School of Design. Her work has appeared in many publications and projects for clients such as The New York Times, The Library of Congress, The Botanical Garden of Padua, and New York City's MTA.
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Published 2021-06-01 by Kokila

Comments

Between clever quilted endpapers, Burgos and D'Alessandro set a comfy space for readers.

[C]reative and warmhearted... In this story about a tight-knit urban community by Burgos (Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle), parents with small children and tough schedules know they can depend on their neighbors for help. The girl's parents show flexibility, patience, and true sweetness when their young guests worry. And the girl's feelings are portrayed realistically as she learns to share her parents, her space - and her friendship.

An important message about empathy, delivered with a light and skillful touch.

Burgos' simple but expressive text depicts a loving family who cares for others, and demonstrates that empathy can develop from stepping into another person's shoes... This heartfelt and endearing story should strike a chord with many.

THE COT IN THE LIVING ROOM is a 2022 ALA Notable Children's Books (excluding the ALA award winners), which identifies "the best of the best in children's books"!

The illustrations do a wonderful job of supporting the storyline and the sentence structure will be appropriate for early readers. If you are looking for titles to enhance lessons about predictions, character point of view, or empathy building among the students, this is a strong contender.