Emergency Quarters

“Unexpected and delightful. Matias serves up a playful slice-of-life tale that bubbles with heart and gentle humor. A vibrant, bighearted account of a child’s first forays into independence.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

”[A] sparkling children’s debut from Matias. The creators convey bustling, life-giving bursts of sight, sound, taste, and smell.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A cozy step back into the past with a visual style reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats, this book is sure to be a conversation-starter and a hit for story time.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

“Full of independence and responsibility, but not completely immune to temptation, Ernesto may be a child of the ‘90s, but the essence of his story is timeless.” – BookPage (Starred Review)

“Set in the not-too-distant past, when kids could call loved ones from pay phones, this vibrant tale that began as a Times Metropolitan Diary entry celebrates Matias’s ‘first taste of sweet independence.’” – New York Times Book Review

“An amiable view of a kid’s routine in a bustling, friendly city neighborhood. An author’s note reveals this charming tale as [the author’s] own childhood experience, when a quarter in a pocket and a pay phone on the corner meant independence for a kid.” – ALA Booklist

“Many details are snapshots of decades past, but the themes in the tender narrative are timeless.” – The Horn Book

Gracey Zhang is an illustrator born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She received her BA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and now resides in Brooklyn, New York. She is the writer and illustrator of Lala’s Words.