Una bicicleta como la de Sergio

Ruben feels like he is the only kid without a bike. His friend Sergio reminds him that his birthday is coming, but Ruben knows that the kinds of birthday gifts he and Sergio receive are not the same. After all, when Ruben’s mom sends him to the store for groceries, sometimes she doesn’t have enough money for everything on the list.

So when Ruben sees a dollar bill fall out of someone’s purse, he picks it up and puts it in his pocket. But when he gets home, he discovers it’s not one dollar or even five or ten — it’s a hundred-dollar bill, more than enough for a new bike just like Sergio’s. Finders keepers, right?

• Another warm and honest picture book from Maribeth Boelts that handles an important moral issue for kids in a sensitive and non-judgmental way.

• The character of Ruben is very real and terrifically developed. He is a regular kid, just like the reader, and he really struggles with what to do with the money in a very believable, and ultimately admirable, way.

• Like Those Shoes and Happy Like Soccer, this picture book from Maribeth Boelts features a relatable kid character whose family is in a difficult financial situation.

About the Author

Maribeth Boelts is the author of numerous books for children, including Those Shoes, a previous collaboration with artist Noah Z. Jones, and Happy Like Soccer, illustrated by Lauren Castillo. She lives with her family in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

About the Illustrator

Noah Z. Jones is the illustrator of Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts as well as Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett, The Monster in the Backpack by Lisa Moser, and Welcome to the Bed and Biscuit by Joan Carris. He lives in Glendale, California.