Publishers Weekly
04/19/2021
“I wish I could sleep on the cot in the living room,” confides the child narrator of this picture book, who has brown skin and dark curls, “but Mami says it’s for guests.” First, Raquel sleeps there, while her father works the night shift at a hospital. When Edgardo’s mother has a singing gig, he sleeps on the cot, too. And Lisa spends the night while her grandmother cleans offices “until way past bedtime.” In each case, the narrator resents sharing the room, and her toys, with the visitors. Artwork by D’Alessandro, making her picture book debut, shows the family and their apartment in clean lines and soft, cotton-candy colors. When at last the narrator gets a night on the cot, things don’t work out well. Then she and her sister make an offer to their next child guest that’s creative 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. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Gail Gaynin, Morgan Gaynin. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for THE COT IN THE LIVING ROOM
2022 ALSC Notable Children’s Book
2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books List
2022 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Wisconsin Charlotte Zolotow Book Award Honor
Featured in Parents Latina
* “The Cot in the Living Room beautifully captures the gifts we receive when we open our hearts to others.” — BookPage, starred review.
"An important message about empathy, delivered with a light and skillful touch." —School Library Journal
"Between clever quilted endpapers, Burgos and D’Alessandro set a comfy space for readers." —Kirkus Reviews
"The final spreads ... illustrate how understanding can alter a child's perspective. This heartfelt and endearing story should strike a chord with many." —Booklist
"Artwork by D’Alessandro, making her picture book debut, shows the family and their apartment in clean lines and soft, cotton-candy colors. ... 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. —Publishers Weekly
"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." —School Library Connection
"Emotionally honest, child-centered story illuminating an aspect of some working/working class families’ lives rarely seen in picture books while underscoring the power of empathy and compassion, and the importance of community." — Cooperative Children’s Book Center
School Library Journal
07/01/2021
K-Gr 2—The cot in the living room is a source of envy to a young girl who, in a first-person narration, resents the privileges strangers enjoy in her home. She imagines it would be fun to have the whole living room to herself, to stay up late, and sneak snacks from the kitchen. Kids whose caregivers work the night shift are welcomed with tenderness by both of the girl's parents, yet never accept offers of games or food. It isn't until the girl is allowed to sleep on the cot herself that she discovers how scary it is, and realizes how it must feel to the visiting children. And it's not fair that kids have to sleep alone there when the cot fits perfectly between her bed and her snoring older sister's. As the illustrations show, the young girl can be as welcoming as her kind parents, making sure that guests feel at home. The Dominican heritage of both author and illustrator are reflected in the characters pictured. D'Alessandro floods the pages with soft pastel colors and fills them with details of family life in a city apartment as well as the girl's swirling fantasies of what she imagines to be her visitors' good fortune. VERDICT An important message about empathy, delivered with a light and skillful touch.—Jan Aldrich Solow, formerly Fairfax County Public Sch., VA
Kirkus Reviews
2021-04-14
From her small apartment in Washington Heights, New York City, a young girl dreams of the perfect place to sleep.
Guest after guest relies on the cot in the Afro-Latina protagonist’s living room for last-minute accommodations. The narrator imagines an ideal night with the living room all to herself and narrates her disappointment each time a new family friend has dibs on the cot, all illustrated with playfully patterned backdrops against which the vibrant, colorful characters pop. Still, when Raquel, Edgardo, or Lisa sleep over, readers see glimpses of the precarious circumstances necessitating their stays even as the narrator remains oblivious and noticeably jealous. She’s nonetheless helpful in the process of preparing a temporary home for kids in need. Mami, Papi, and her older sister may not understand the desire to sleep in the living room, but, as a family, they’re noticeably loving and supportive of one another and their diverse Uptown Manhattan neighbors. When the time comes for the protagonist to get her turn on the cot, she quickly realizes it’s not all it was cracked up to be. Ultimately, the cot in the living room isn’t as magical as she imagined, but she learns that spaces—even tight ones—created of love and care can be the source of her own magic.
Between clever quilted endpapers, Burgos and D’Alessandro set a comfy space for readers. (Picture book. 3-8)
