Who knew that getting stuck in an elevator would generate an afternoon of storytelling and new friends? When an elevator goes up instead of down, a young unnamed child narrator and their dog Roco meet a medley of tenant neighbors: Ms. Paula who is afraid of dogs, Mr. Miguel, the oldest tenant, and Cora with her twin babies. As anxieties increase, Mr. Miguel shares the tale, “Who Cares?. When the elevator is fixed, the group decides to stay together for a cup of tea instead of parting ways. Don't miss Mr. Miguel's story included as a back-page insert.

USBBY Outstanding International Books 2021. Green Island winner, Nami Concours, South Korea, 2021. White Ravens Award, International Youth Library, Munich 2020. Winner of the Best Illustration at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival 2019. Laureate “Image of the Book” Best Picture Book at the XII International Contest for Book Illustration and Design, Moscow, 2019.

Author was born and currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Argentina. Originally published in Spanish as El ascensor by Tapioca Stories in 2019. English translation by Kit Maude published in the United States by Tapioca Stories in 2020.

Every trip changes us, even a trip on the elevator.

A girl and her dog begin their afternoon walk. But before they can get outside to the street, they must take the elevator in their apartment building. She presses the button to go down, but the elevator goes up. Who called it? Is it broken?

As the reader turns the page, every stop brings new characters--from Ms. Paula who's afraid of dogs, to fussy infant twins, to the building's oldest resident, Mr. Miguel. The story builds as the elevator becomes more and more crowded, and when Ms. Paula shares her cake and Mr. Miguel shares a story about a lonely bear on his birthday, the characters discover what is--and isn't--worth caring about.

The Elevator is a funny and heartwarming tale of unexpectedly big friendships formed out of a routine encounter in a tiny space. With a fun, elevator-shaped trim size, this picture book makes a wonderful introduction to the power of unexpected encounters, unlikely friendships, and making the most out of what we have.

About the Publisher

Tapioca Stories, a New York-based publishing house with Latin American soul, introduces young English readers to the finest Latin American children's books, originally written in Spanish and Portuguese.