Description
A timid ten-year-old boy meets Johnny, a gruff islander who will change his life, in Johnny, the Sea, and Me, a heartwarming middle-grade novel by Melba Escobarabout finding yourself and your place in the world—featuring illustrations by award-winning artist Elizabeth Builes.
Translated from Spanish by Sara Lissa Paulson
Pedro has always dreamed of going to the sea. So when his mom takes him on a special trip to a small island in the Caribbean, he’s so happy that he grows an extra inch! But the troubles at home—bullying from classmates and an absent father—find a way to follow Pedro, even on vacation… Overwhelmed, the boy takes to the beach and runs away, hoping to leave his worries far behind.
That’s when he meets Johnny, an islander descended from pirates. At first, Pedro is frightened by Johnny’s imposing appearance and brusque manners. But Johnny, along with his chatty parrot Victoria, takes young Pedro under his wing and shares his island and his stories with him, thereby changing Pedro’s life. Because sometimes, like Pedro, you have to lose yourself to find yourself.
About the Author
Sara learned Spanish in the streets of Sevilla with Antonio Marín Márquez, his bandmates, friends, and family. It was there that she got her first translation job at age 19, working for a local music zine. Her degrees are in Comparative Literature, Spanish, Bilingual Education, and Library Science. She has worked as a children’s librarian in NYC’s alternative elementary and high schools for over 21 years, reading aloud day in and day out, and teaches future librarians of all ages at Queens College’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies.
Praise For…
★ "Translator Paulson (Book of Questions) gracefully incorporates hints of magical realism from Colombian writer Escobar... Escobar’s compatriot Builes contributes delicately lined artwork to this tale, which ruminates on the healing presence of a figure who lives life on his own terms."
— Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW