The Peanut Man - Hardcover

by Carmen Agra Deedy (Author), Raúl Colón (Illustrator)

The story of a Cuban refugee and her joy in an unexpected encounter that connects her beloved home in Havana with her new home in Atlanta

Each evening Coqui waits for the familiar cry of the Peanut Man--" Mani! Peanuts!"--and watches for him to appear on the street below her window. They always greet each other in their own special way--Coqui tucks her thumbs in her ears and sticks out her tongue at Emilio. And Emilio, to her great amusement, does the same in return. Night after night, the two friends continue their ritual.

One evening, Coqui sadly announces, "Nos vamos." She tells him that they have to leave Cuba. They are going to the United States. Emilio tries to assure her that she will like many things about los Estados Unidos, especially beisbol, her favorite sport. "But don't forget your friend Emilio," he says as he walks away. " Nunca!" she calls out through tears. She could never forget him.

Coqui and her family arrive in Decatur, Georgia, in the dead of winter to snow-covered ground. Her father seals the windows with duct tape and they await the arrival of spring. Coqui watches for the Peanut Man, but he does not appear.

Several years pass, she learns wobbly English, and becomes a devoted Atlanta Braves fan. She forgets her beloved Peanut Man. Then one day her father surprises her with the perfect birthday gift--two tickets for a Braves game to see their favorite player Hammerin' Hank Aaron. As they settle into their seats amid the cheering crowds, Coqui hears a man yelling "Peanuts! Get your peanuts!" The delicious smell of roasted peanuts reaches her and memories of home and Emilio rush into her head.

With luminous illustrations by the award-winning artist Raúl Colón, this story of immigration, of being displaced and finding a connection to home, reminds us how much alike we humans are, regardless of culture, color, or creed.

Author Biography

Carmen Agra Deedy is a New York Times best-selling author (14 Cows for America) and nationally known storyteller. Her books have received numerous awards and honors, including a Pura Belpré Honor, Christopher, a Jane Addams Honor, and an E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor. Carmen has presented at many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee. She lives in Georgia.

Raúl Colón, recipient of the 2021 Eric Carle Honor, is an acclaimed illustrator of many picture books. He has been recognized with a Golden Kite Award, two Pura Belpré Awards, a gold and silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, and many others. He is the illustrator of Margarita Engle's Miguel's Brave Knight: Young Cervantes and His Dream of Don Quixote, also published by Peachtree. Raúl was born in New York City, and moved with his parents in the 1960s to Caguas, Puerto Rico, where he studied commercial art. He now lives with his family in New City, New York.