This urban story about developing empathy for houseguests was very sweet.

This was an incredibly welcoming, and eye-opening story of a young girl in New York who often has people stay with her family. Through the eyes of a child, this book stands out for the curiosity, and realness that shines bright. I think its uniqueness is also so important because many children might be familiar with this lifestyle that was new for the main character. ( )

Both the author and illustrator, who share a Dominican heritage, drew upon their childhood memories to create this book. It features a young girl in New York who resentfully imagines that neighbor children who stay at her apartment when their parents are working get better treatment than she does.

Eventually she takes a walk in their shoes, or more specifically, spends a night herself on the cot in the living room, and finds out the experience wasn’t as great as she thought it would be. After that, she not only feels empathy for her family's temporary guests, but adds her efforts to those of her parents to help the kids staying over feel more safe, secure, and welcome.

In an interview, the author said:

I hope that kids who share something in common with the characters — for example, bilingual, growing up in an apartment in a big city, and/or with parents or guardians who work the night shift — can see themselves and their lives reflected in these pages. Additionally, I would like all readers to see the beauty of a close-knit and helpful community, and the sacrifices that many working parents have to make in order to provide for their families.”

Illustrator Gaby D’Alessandro does an excellent job of adding variation and interest to the art despite the fact that the story takes place just inside one apartment. The pictures are full of detail and adept at showing the emotional changes experienced by the characters

Evaluation: This book has some excellent lessons for readers, as ably delineated by the author in the above quote. Adults may appreciate that this story comes from the same world as the one portrayed in “In the Heights,” the 2021 film co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes. That story also takes place in the predominantly Dominican Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. In the film (and Broadway show on which it was based), every member of the community pursues dreams of a better life with the support of family, friends, and neighbors. In this book for children aged 4 and up, we benefit from a child's eye-view of that community support. ( )

A young girl resents that her parents take in other parents' children to sleep overnight on the cot in the living room. It's not fair that they get a view of the George Washington Bridge, that she can't watch her cartoons or that the TV needs to be shut off. But when she finally gets a chance to sleep on the cot, it's not as special as she imagined, and that helps her find a way to make the other kids' stays more comfortable while their parents work night shifts. An honest and empathetic story about family realities and making ends meet. ( )