Kirkus calls THE UNLIKELY AVENTURAS OF RAMÓN AND EL CUCUY by Donna Barba Higuera, illus. by Juliana Perdomo, “tantalizing,” “exuberant,” and “undeniably cool” in starred review

THE UNLIKELY AVENTURAS OF RAMÓN AND EL CUCUY by Donna Barba Higuera, illustrated by Juliana Perdomo
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Publication Date: August 19, 2025

In this spinoff from Higuera and Perdoma’s picture-book series, a curious boogeyman must frighten his first child or else risk losing what he wants most—to belong.

A class of newly hatched monsters heads toward the Abyss of Horror, where each budding cucuy, cuca, and cuco (creatures from Latin American folklore) will receive their first assignments—a mischievous human child to keep in line. One diminutive, lonely cucuy feels quite unprepared indeed. Neglecting to scare his human into good behavior means being banished to the Forest of Failure, with its clean air, sweet smells, and colorful flowers. The horror! But success means getting a name and an appointed Clump, a group to belong to. Our hero attempts to scare his assigned child, Latine-cued Ramón, but the preoccupied niño is more worried about the prospect of attending a new school. Intrigued by the human world, the cucuy helps Ramón navigate first-day jitters. This leisurely paced tale keenly captures the anxieties of being the new kid by drawing explicit parallels between the characters. Tantalizing bits of monstrous worldbuilding and humor derived from the little cucuy’s befuddled fascination with the human realm elevate the story to exuberant heights. Imbued with pops of purple, Perdomo’s monochrome artwork winningly portrays both worlds, with an adorable little cucuy at the center of it all.

Beware the cucuy? Not when he’s this undeniably cool.
(Fantasy. 7-10)