Johnny, the Sea, and Me [Hardcover]

A 2025 Batchelder Honor Book! ★ A heartwarming middle-grade novel from Colombia about a ten-year-old boy and the larger-than-life figure who changes him forever.

Pedro is dealing with a lot for a ten-year-old kid, both at school and at home. So he's overjoyed when his mom surprises him with a trip to see the ocean—an experience he's been dreaming about for a long time!

Maybe this trip will make everything better. Maybe it will make his dad come back to him and his mom. Maybe he will stop being bullied at school, once he's seen the ocean! But things go wrong right from the start between Pedro and his mom, and all seems lost, until Pedro is found and taken in by a gruff old sea dog who has something magical about him.

Tender, funny, and stamped with psychological truth,Johnny, the Sea, and Meoffers the thrills of pirate adventures and the rich cultural history of the Caribbean, along with strong characters and a satisfying and moving portrait of an unusual friendship. Adeptly translated by Sara Lissa Paulson and beautifully illustrated by Elizabeth Builes, this book is sure to resonate with readers young and old.

Melba Escobaris a Colombian author and journalist. Her debut Spanish-language children’s book,Johnny, the Sea, and Me, was selected for the 2015 White Ravens catalog as an outstanding international book by the International Youth Library. Escobar lives in Barcelona with her husband and two children, and writes forEl Paísand Colombia’sEl Tiempo.

Elizabeth Builesis a Colombian illustrator who won the Tragaluz Illustration Award in 2013 and went on to receive worldwide recognition for the original Colombian edition ofJohnny, the Sea and Mein 2015.

Sara Lissa Paulsonis a translator of Spanish and Latin American poetry, picture books, and middle grade fiction. Her first translation, Pablo Neruda’sBol3-