Like many human children, Cucuy, the little monster, doesn’t like to go to bed. “I’m not sleepy,” he says. “All I want to do is jump around and play!”
He tries to run and hide, but Mamá manages to get him into his pajamas. Every night he kicks and screams, wiggles and jiggles, mumbles and grumbles. He’s hungry, he’s thirsty. He needs to go to the bathroom. But Mamá won’t give in. “Tomorrow you will have a whole new day to jump around and play,” she tells her little monster, until finally he … drifts … off … to … sleep.
Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in the travails of poor Cucuy, the little monster who doesn’t like to go to sleep. And they might just see themselves as Cucuy protests but ultimately does fall asleep. Author Claudia Galindo and illustrator Jonathan Coombs once again collaborate on an entertaining picture book for children.
“. . . Hispanic American children find strength in their loving extended families . . . children will enjoy the warm celebration of cultures.”—Booklist on The Ice Dove and Other Stories
“Younger children in this age group will enjoy these fast-paced tales brimming with positive values.”—MultiCultural Review on The Immortal Rooster and Other Stories
“. . .Diane de Anda is a talented storyteller whose stories will surely capture a child’s imagination.”—Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work on The Immortal Rooster and Other Stories
“Diane de Anda writes with a lyrical prose style perfectly suited to capturing the attention and engaging the interest of her young readers.”—Children’s Bookwatch on The Immortal Rooster and Other Stories
DIANE DE ANDA, a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at UCLA, is the author of three bilingual picture books, The Patchwork Garden / Pedacitos de huerto (2013), A Day without Sugar / Un día sin azúcar (Piñata Books, 2012) and Dancing Miranda / Baila, Miranda, baila (Arte Público Press, 2001), and three collections of short fiction for young readers, The Monster in the Mattress and Other Stories / El monstruo en el colchón y otros cuentos (Piñata Books, 2011), The Immortal Rooster and Other Stories (Piñata Books, 1999) and The Ice Dove and Other Stories (Piñata Books, 1997). Her stories and poems have been published in a number of journals and magazines. She is also the author of numerous academic articles and books, including Controversial Issues in Multiculturalism (Allyn & Bacon, 1996) and Project Peace (Castalia Publishing Company, 1997).
JONATHAN COOMBS, a video game artist, lives and works in Utah.
JOHN PLUECKER received his undergraduate degree in Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies from Yale University and his master’s degree in Spanish at the University of Houston in 2007. His fiction and poetry have appeared in journals such as The Julie Mango, Altanoche, and New Texas, and his non-fiction has appeared in Clamor Magazine and El Diario de Tampico. He is the translator of Under the Texas Sun / El sol de Texas (Arte Publico Press, 2007) by Conrado Espinoza.
Learn more at johnpluecker.blogspot.com.
AR Quiz #: 123861
ATOS English: 2.3
ATOS Spanish: 2.8
ATOS IL: LG
