Ugly Cat is dying for a paleta, or ice pop, and his friend Pablo is determined to help him get one by scaring a little girl who is enjoying a coconut paleta in the park. Things go horribly wrong when, instead of being scared, the little girl picks Pablo up and declares that he would make a great snack for her pet snake. Oh and there's also the small problem that Ugly Cat may have inadvertently swallowed Pablo in all of the commotion!
Ugly Cat and his impeccably dressed mouse friend, Pablo, are an unlikely and dynamic duo who will win young readers over with their ridiculously silly antics and their search for tasty treats.
Praise forGabi, A Girl in Pieces:
Winner of the 2015 Morris Award for Debut YA Fiction
* Believing she's not Mexican enough for her family and not white enough for Berkeley, Gabi still meets every challenge head-on with vulgar humor and raw honesty... A refreshing take on slut- and fat-shaming, Quintero's work ranks with Meg Medina'sYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Assand Junot Diaz'sDrownas a coming-of-age novel with Latino protagonists. --School Library Journal, starred review
* Readers won't soon forget Gabi, a young woman coming into her own in the face of intense pressure from her family, culture and society to fit someone else's idea of what it means to be a 'good' girl. A fresh, authentic and honest exploration of contemporary Latina identity. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* Quintero's first novel quickly establishes a strong voice and Mexican-American cultural perspective through the journal of intelligent, self-deprecating, and funny Gabi. --Publishers Weekly, starred review
* Reading Quintero's debut is like attending a large family fiesta: it's overpopulated with people, noise, and emotion, but the overall effect is joyous. --Booklist, starred review