Gentle themes of resiliency, mindfulness, and self-care are brought home in this sweet and soulful picture book with charmingly graphic illustrations and a poetic text.
I love listening to music, especially samba! It feels like my heart follows the beat.
Meet a young girl who loves her cozy home. It smells like cinnamon tea and feels like warm pajamas. But even when she’s away from home, and everything is different, she finds a way to become her own home, where she feels calm. At night, when it’s too dark and her feet are cold, her room can be a little scary. But she creates her own light when she closes her eyes and thinks of the sun. With friendliness and charm, Juliana Perdomo, in her debut as author-illustrator, shows young readers how to find comfort and confidence within. Her heartwarming picture book reassures children that sometimes, everything we need—courage, joy, peace, and love—is already inside us.
HONOR
| 2023 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award
HONOR
| 2023 Latino Book Award
Colombian author-illustrator Perdomo’s heartwarming artwork makes this simple story sing with its childlike style and charm. Her illustrations are filled with bright, bold colors and clean lines that pop against white backgrounds. . . Through the girl’s example, readers will learn self-reliance skills for soothing themselves when moments become difficult and an appreciation for both having company and being alone. . . this winning combination will give children the confidence to tap into the power they hold within themselves. —Booklist (starred review)
A young girl finds courage, comfort, and peace within. . . . Perdomo’s simple but powerful narrative explores the balance between self-reliance and dependency and conveys the equal importance of self-care and allowing others to care for us. . . . A heartfelt, reassuring picture book that will help children develop inner resources and psychological strength. —Kirkus Reviews
In this simple ode to mindfulness and self-reliance, a young girl walks readers through pieces of her daily social-emotional journey. . . Illustrations full of vibrant color and texture, as well as racially diverse characters, give this book visual appeal for not only preschoolers, but a wide slice of the general population. —School Library Journal
A sweet and utterly comforting book about a young girl who loves the safety of her warm and cozy home. She’s learning how to use what she has inside of herself to give her comfort and peace when she’s away from home or even scared at night in her own room. It’s a book about self-care, self-assurance, peace, and courage that every little one can learn from. —HipLatina
A great lesson for little minds about the importance of relying on yourself. Perdomo’s simple, symmetrical illustrations add balance to the text helping to further the zenlike message. —The Toledo Blade
Juliana Perdomo is an author, illustrator, graphic designer, and art therapist. She loves to create joyful, heartfelt stories and illustrations based on everyday inspirations and childhood memories. She is the illustrator of El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! by Donna Barba Higuera and What Is Baby Going to Do? by Laura Knowles, among other books. Juliana Perdomo lives with her son in Bogota, Colombia.
Gentle themes of resiliency, mindfulness, and self-care are brought home in this sweet and soulful picture book with charmingly graphic illustrations and a poetic text.
I love listening to music, especially samba! It feels like my heart follows the beat.
Meet a young girl who loves her cozy home. It smells like cinnamon tea and feels like warm pajamas. But even when she’s away from home, and everything is different, she finds a way to become her own home, where she feels calm. At night, when it’s too dark and her feet are cold, her room can be a little scary. But she creates her own light when she closes her eyes and thinks of the sun. With friendliness and charm, Juliana Perdomo, in her debut as author-illustrator, shows young readers how to find comfort and confidence within. Her heartwarming picture book reassures children that sometimes, everything we need—courage, joy, peace, and love—is already inside us.
Awards
HONOR
| 2023 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award
HONOR
| 2023 Latino Book Award
Praise
Colombian author-illustrator Perdomo’s heartwarming artwork makes this simple story sing with its childlike style and charm. Her illustrations are filled with bright, bold colors and clean lines that pop against white backgrounds. . . Through the girl’s example, readers will learn self-reliance skills for soothing themselves when moments become difficult and an appreciation for both having company and being alone. . . this winning combination will give children the confidence to tap into the power they hold within themselves. —Booklist (starred review)
A young girl finds courage, comfort, and peace within. . . . Perdomo’s simple but powerful narrative explores the balance between self-reliance and dependency and conveys the equal importance of self-care and allowing others to care for us. . . . A heartfelt, reassuring picture book that will help children develop inner resources and psychological strength. —Kirkus Reviews
In this simple ode to mindfulness and self-reliance, a young girl walks readers through pieces of her daily social-emotional journey. . . Illustrations full of vibrant color and texture, as well as racially diverse characters, give this book visual appeal for not only preschoolers, but a wide slice of the general population. —School Library Journal
A sweet and utterly comforting book about a young girl who loves the safety of her warm and cozy home. She’s learning how to use what she has inside of herself to give her comfort and peace when she’s away from home or even scared at night in her own room. It’s a book about self-care, self-assurance, peace, and courage that every little one can learn from. —HipLatina
A great lesson for little minds about the importance of relying on yourself. Perdomo’s simple, symmetrical illustrations add balance to the text helping to further the zenlike message. —The Toledo Blade
Author
Juliana Perdomo is an author, illustrator, graphic designer, and art therapist. She loves to create joyful, heartfelt stories and illustrations based on everyday inspirations and childhood memories. She is the illustrator of El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! by Donna Barba Higuera and What Is Baby Going to Do? by Laura Knowles, among other books. Juliana Perdomo lives with her son in Bogota, Colombia.
