The cot in the living room /

A young Dominican American girl living in New York City feels a bit jealous of the children who sleep on the cot in her living room. She understands that Mami graciously offers to babysit for community children whose caregivers must work an overnight shift, but she also imagines having the entire living room to herself might be grand fun. One day when the cot is unexpectedly vacant, she convinces Mami to let her sleep in the treasured spot, only to discover that the living room at night can be very scary. 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. D'Alessandro's digital, cartoon-style illustrations favor purples, pinks, and greens and include many city details. The final spreads (featuring the cot now pushed into the girls' bedroom so that the sisters can make their guests feel at home) illustrate how understanding can alter a child's perspective. This heartfelt and endearing story should strike a chord with many.

"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)

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

Our young narrator, who shares a bedroom with a snoring older sister, is jealous of the guests who get to sleep on the cot in her family's living room overlooking the George Washington Bridge. "It would be so much fun to have the whole living room to myself! I'd stay up late and play, look at the tiny cars outside, maybe watch TV and sneak into the kitchen for an extra cookie or a little dulce de leche." Instead, a girl named Raquel ("Boring. She never plays with me") gets the cot while her father works the hospital night shift; on another night, Edgardo gets it while his mom, a singer, performs until 3 a.m.; and little Lisa has a turn while her grandmother cleans offices. "It's not fair" is the protagonist's refrain, with added resentment about having to share her parents' attention. After her own longed-for night on the cot proves less than thrilling, and even a little bit scary, she gains empathy for the guests and reacts with kindness. "It's Wednesday and Raquel's dad is working the night shift again, so she has to sleep on the cot in the living room. All by herself. She must really miss him. It's not fair." She invites the girl into her shared bedroom, cot and all. And though the space is tight, "the cot fits perfectly. And so does Raquel." D'Alessandro's pastel-hued digital illustrations feature soothing patterns and motifs, some of them compiled on endpapers resembling a quilt. Burgos's story is effective in its specificity to one child's experiences -- and in the highly relatable emotions and reactions common to many young kids. Elissa Gershowitz September/October 2021 p.60(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.