Don't Eat the Birthday Boy!

A Chapter Book

By: Donna Barba Higuera, Juliana Perdomo - Illustrator

Narrated by: Robb Moreira

A young monster and his human child reunite for a new horror—Ramón’s birthday party!—in this spooky-funny chapter book from Newbery Medal–winning author Donna Barba Higuera

It’s a monster’s ancient duty to inflict unimaginable horrors on misbehaving kids.

But El Cucuy doesn’t want to terrorize his assigned human, Ramón—in fact, he’s desperate to get back to the human world to spend more time with his new friend. Unfortunately, back in the monster world, the contract between humans and boogeymen has broken down, and with it, the rules that allow them to coexist in relative peace.

When El Cucuy finally makes it back to Ramón, so do a terrifying assortment of boogeymen from other realms. And to those monsters’ delight, they find lots of children gathered in one place: a birthday party! Can El Cucuy and Ramón beat the other boogeymen at their own games—and make sure the birthday boy and his party guests don’t get eaten along the way?

Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen’s The Skull, this chapter-book series from Newbery Medal–winning author Donna Barba Higuera delightfully blends sly humor, light spookiness, and lots of heart.

“The humor of cucuys disliking fresh air and flowers but relishing boogers, spit, bugs, and other stinky delights is sure to amuse young readers. This sweet and silly chapter book shows that monsters aren’t always what they seem … A solid choice …”—School Library Journal

©2026 Donna Barba Higuera (P)2026 Recorded Books