Book Descriptions
for Looking for Bongo by Eric Velasquez
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
A small, pajama-clad boy is on a morning hunt at home for Bongo. “Dónde está Bongo?” He asks Wela, his grandmother; Gato the cat; Daisy the dog; and his dad. He tries to ask his mom, but she’s busy. Even the delivery man at the door is questioned. No one knows where Bongo is. The boy finally finds Bongo, a small brown-and-white stuffed animal dog, peeking out from behind a set of bongo drums. “Tonight I will hold on to Bongo so he won’t run away.” It turns out Bongo isn’t on the run, but someone else is in this picture book with an ending that is surely a surprise to the boy and may be to child readers and listeners, although others may have noticed a certain look on the guilty party’s face earlier in the story. The illustrations in this picture book featuring an Afro- Latino family provide a wonderful sense of home and warmth and morning routine. (Ages 3–6)
CCBC Choices 2017. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2017. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Where could Bongo be? Help a young boy find his beloved toy—and figure out how he got lost to begin with.
The boy knows Bongo was right there with him this morning—but suddenly, Bongo is missing. He asks his whole family if they've seen the stuffed toy. "Yo no sé," says abuela, "I don't know."
Mom and Dad haven't seen him either. And Gato just meows and runs away.
When he finds Bongo, the boy is thrilled—but he still doesn't understand how his toy ended up there. So he sets a trap to catch the Bongo thief. . . .
Eric Velasquez's detailed, expressive illustrations follow the boy's investigation throughout his home, giving a glimpse at a warm, multi-generational family.
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
The boy knows Bongo was right there with him this morning—but suddenly, Bongo is missing. He asks his whole family if they've seen the stuffed toy. "Yo no sé," says abuela, "I don't know."
Mom and Dad haven't seen him either. And Gato just meows and runs away.
When he finds Bongo, the boy is thrilled—but he still doesn't understand how his toy ended up there. So he sets a trap to catch the Bongo thief. . . .
Eric Velasquez's detailed, expressive illustrations follow the boy's investigation throughout his home, giving a glimpse at a warm, multi-generational family.
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.