About the Author

Eric Velasquez' awards include the John Steptoe / Coretta Scott King Award for new talent, a Pura Belpré Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a Carter G. Woodson Award. The son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents who encouraged music and storytelling, Eric grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York. He teaches illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology and lives in New York.

For Holiday House, he both wrote and illustrated Looking for Bongo, and he illustrated Ol' Clip-Clop: A Ghost Story by Patricia C. McKissack (Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award Winner, Georgia Children's Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year--Outstanding Merit) and New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer (Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award).

Reviews

* "An Afro Latino boy searches for his missing stuffed toy in this tender tribute to family, music, and childhood. . . . this work's celebration of the diversity within Latino culture will warm hearts. A sweet tale recommended for diverse toddler storytimes and one-on-one sharing."—School Library Journal, Starred Review
 
"Velasquez's portrayal of a family that is both black and Latino (a rarity in children's books) is refreshing. . . . this simple story with a twist should have wide appeal. Darling."—Kirkus Reviews
 
"Velasquez's text is a simple mix of English and easily decipherable Spanish . . . The illustrations of the narrator's quest are active, consisting of many gestures and close-up facial expressions, and the colors are warm creams, blues, and oranges. Home life is multigenerational and loving."—Booklist
 
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year