El cuento del ratón Pérez, by Kristy Placido
NEW! COMING SOON! Expected by the end of May 2025
In El cuento del ratón Pérez, readers are transported to 1890 Madrid, where a boy king embarks on an unexpected journey filled with magic, adventure, and discovery. Alfonso is not a typical boy—he is the king of Spain. But when his baby tooth falls out, he discovers that being a king doesn't mean he understands everything.
Alfonso meets the legendary ratón Pérez, a professional tooth collector. Pérez explains that lost teeth are not just discarded—they are collected, stored in a magical library, and transformed into stories. Eager to help, Alfonso magically shrinks to mouse size and joins Pérez on a nighttime mission across the streets—and beneath them—in a secret tunnel system.
As they travel to retrieve the tooth of a boy named Gilito, Alfonso sees parts of his kingdom he never imagined. He walks through dangerous streets, escapes a giant cat with the help of clever rat soldiers and a brave dog, and witnesses the humble home of Gilito, a boy who has very little. Deeply moved, Alfonso begins to understand what it means to be king—not just to rule, but to help.
This charming story is written using only 80 unique words, supported by high-frequency verbs such as ser, estar, tener, querer, poder, ayudar, caminar, correr, comer, ver, decir, and salir. Vocabulary is carefully limited to support comprehension and build confidence in early readers of Spanish.
Rich in cultural references, including Madrid's iconic Palacio Real, churros y chocolate, la calle Arenal, and la calle Jacometrezo, this book is ideal for elementary Spanish learners or emergent bilinguals. Themes of empathy, service, curiosity, and wonder guide Alfonso's growth from a lonely boy in a palace to a compassionate future ruler who truly wants to help his people.
Level 1 and above
