China Poblana · Puebla, Mexico — her grandparents' home
The heroes of this story.
Spending her first night far from home at her grandparents'. Says "I'm scared" out loud to the dark — and learns little ≠ weak.
A swallow trailing light-ribbons. Grows giant to carry Cata through the storm, then shrinks to pocket-size.
Cata's warm, snoring dog — warm as toast. CANON UPDATE 2026-10-10: manuscript says xolo; he is now an alebrije. Luz (wooden alebrije toy) is a separate character.
Waits unpainted in the star-door workshop. Cata promises: real paint, real names. Epithet "Perro de Pico y Plumas" is Ricardo-veto-pending.
Wave a papel-picado banner at the gate; Abuela makes the best hot chocolate.
On her first night far from home, Cata follows a ribbon-trailing swallow named Viento through a star-door in the sky. Riding Viento's giant wing through a storm, she admits she's scared — and finds that saying it is the brave part. At dawn she keeps only a silver feather, and a promise to bring friends to the wooden animals waiting to be painted.
Free coloring pages from this book · how-to-draw the friends · watch the episode on YouTube.
