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Rica Baptista

Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend

Janet Costa Bates Gladys Jose

$27.99

Hardback

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English
Candlewick Press,U.S.
01 February 2023
Series: Rica Baptista
Rica’s very best friend is moving away. How can she convince her parents to let her get a pet so she won’t be lonely? Friendship and family shine in this engaging young chapter book.

Rica Baptista wants—no, needs—a pet. A llama, a kinkajou, or maybe an iguana? She even has a name picked out: Frederica, her own name, after her Cape Verdean great-great-grandfather. But Rica’s parents say no almost faster than their mouths can open. The worst part is that Rica can’t tell anyone the real reason she wants a pet, because she’s not supposed to know—she overheard that her best friend, Laini, is moving away, and Rica worries about being left behind. Rica and Laini make lists of the benefits of having a pet to convince Rica’s parents, and they try all sorts of schemes to raise money to afford one, from party planning to holding a yard sale to entering a poetry contest. But in the end, it might be an act of unselfish kindness and courage that shows that Rica is ready to take on the pet of her dreams. In a rich and amusing story that will appeal to fans of Judy Moody and Ivy and Bean, a sincere and creative protagonist navigates friend and family relationships from funny to frustrating, endearing to insightful.

By:  
Illustrated by:   Gladys Jose
Imprint:   Candlewick Press,U.S.
Country of Publication:   United States
Volume:   1
Dimensions:   Height: 217mm,  Width: 151mm,  Spine: 14mm
Weight:   261g
ISBN:   9781536216301
ISBN 10:   1536216305
Series:   Rica Baptista
Pages:   128
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 6 to 9 years
Audience:   Children/juvenile ,  English as a second language
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Janet Costa Bates is the author of Time for Bed, Old House, illustrated by AG Ford. Her grandparents, like Rica’s ancestors, immigrated from Cape Verde. If she could have any pet, she would choose a beagle. Or maybe a giraffe. Janet Costa Bates lives in Massachusetts. Gladys Jose is the illustrator of several books for young readers. She lives in Florida with her husband and daughter.

Reviews for Rica Baptista: Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend

Oh, garbanzo beans! You'll be sorry if you wait to meet big-hearted Rica, who discovers the joy of family, friendship, pets, and the power of finding her own voice. -Megan McDonald, New York Times best-selling author of the Judy Moody series


  • Winner of Boston Authors Club Julia Ward Howe Prize 2022

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