Close Modal

César's Cerulean Surprise

Illustrated by Laura Sandoval Herrera
Hardcover
9-1/2"W x 9-1/2"H | 20 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Oct 21, 2025 | 32 Pages | 9781623544393
Age 3-6 years

See Additional Formats
Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling!

A math picture book series for preschoolers and kindergarteners with relatable stories that reflect little kids’ everyday experience.


César wants to borrow his little sister Gabi’s brand-new cerulean crayon. She doesn't know what color that is, though, and she won't let him show her! Instead, she asks him yes-no questions to rule out crayons. It's like a game of 20 Questions—fun for Gabi and frustrating for César!

A playful exploration of logic featuring Chicanx (Mexican American) characters and Spanish color words. 

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC.
Jenny Lacika grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she learned to work together with an older brother and a younger brother. She graduated from MIT after discovering how math could break down walls and open doors. Jenny is the author of Again, Essie?, winner of the Mathical Award, and Beto's Berry Treasure. She lives in her hometown with her husband and two kids.

Laura Sandoval Herrera is a Brooklyn-based illustrator and designer born in Mexico. She earned her BFA in product design from Parsons School of Design and is pursuing her MFA in illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York. When she isn't drawing or painting, she's usually playing with her dog, Scribble, and her cat, Potato. This is her debut book.
www.laurasanherr.com
Laura Sandoval Herrera View titles by Laura Sandoval Herrera
Available for sale exclusive:
•     Afghanistan
•     Aland Islands
•     Albania
•     Algeria
•     Andorra
•     Angola
•     Anguilla
•     Antarctica
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Argentina
•     Armenia
•     Aruba
•     Australia
•     Austria
•     Azerbaijan
•     Bahamas
•     Bahrain
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belarus
•     Belgium
•     Belize
•     Benin
•     Bermuda
•     Bhutan
•     Bolivia
•     Bonaire, Saba
•     Bosnia Herzeg.
•     Botswana
•     Bouvet Island
•     Brazil
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Bulgaria
•     Burkina Faso
•     Burundi
•     Cambodia
•     Cameroon
•     Canada
•     Cape Verde
•     Cayman Islands
•     Centr.Afr.Rep.
•     Chad
•     Chile
•     China
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Colombia
•     Comoro Is.
•     Congo
•     Cook Islands
•     Costa Rica
•     Croatia
•     Cuba
•     Curacao
•     Cyprus
•     Czech Republic
•     Dem. Rep. Congo
•     Denmark
•     Djibouti
•     Dominica
•     Dominican Rep.
•     Ecuador
•     Egypt
•     El Salvador
•     Equatorial Gui.
•     Eritrea
•     Estonia
•     Ethiopia
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Faroe Islands
•     Fiji
•     Finland
•     France
•     Fren.Polynesia
•     French Guinea
•     Gabon
•     Gambia
•     Georgia
•     Germany
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Greece
•     Greenland
•     Grenada
•     Guadeloupe
•     Guam
•     Guatemala
•     Guernsey
•     Guinea Republic
•     Guinea-Bissau
•     Guyana
•     Haiti
•     Heard/McDon.Isl
•     Honduras
•     Hong Kong
•     Hungary
•     Iceland
•     India
•     Indonesia
•     Iran
•     Iraq
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Israel
•     Italy
•     Ivory Coast
•     Jamaica
•     Japan
•     Jersey
•     Jordan
•     Kazakhstan
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Kuwait
•     Kyrgyzstan
•     Laos
•     Latvia
•     Lebanon
•     Lesotho
•     Liberia
•     Libya
•     Liechtenstein
•     Lithuania
•     Luxembourg
•     Macau
•     Macedonia
•     Madagascar
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Maldives
•     Mali
•     Malta
•     Marshall island
•     Martinique
•     Mauritania
•     Mauritius
•     Mayotte
•     Mexico
•     Micronesia
•     Minor Outl.Ins.
•     Moldavia
•     Monaco
•     Mongolia
•     Montenegro
•     Montserrat
•     Morocco
•     Mozambique
•     Myanmar
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     Nepal
•     Netherlands
•     New Caledonia
•     New Zealand
•     Nicaragua
•     Niger
•     Nigeria
•     Niue
•     Norfolk Island
•     North Korea
•     North Mariana
•     Norway
•     Oman
•     Pakistan
•     Palau
•     Palestinian Ter
•     Panama
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Paraguay
•     Peru
•     Philippines
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     Poland
•     Portugal
•     Puerto Rico
•     Qatar
•     Reunion Island
•     Romania
•     Russian Fed.
•     Rwanda
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Saint Martin
•     Samoa,American
•     San Marino
•     SaoTome Princip
•     Saudi Arabia
•     Senegal
•     Serbia
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Singapore
•     Sint Maarten
•     Slovakia
•     Slovenia
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     South Korea
•     South Sudan
•     Spain
•     Sri Lanka
•     St Barthelemy
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     St.Pier,Miquel.
•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Swaziland
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Tanzania
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     US Virgin Is.
•     USA
•     Uganda
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     United Kingdom
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vanuatu
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

About

Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling!

A math picture book series for preschoolers and kindergarteners with relatable stories that reflect little kids’ everyday experience.


César wants to borrow his little sister Gabi’s brand-new cerulean crayon. She doesn't know what color that is, though, and she won't let him show her! Instead, she asks him yes-no questions to rule out crayons. It's like a game of 20 Questions—fun for Gabi and frustrating for César!

A playful exploration of logic featuring Chicanx (Mexican American) characters and Spanish color words. 

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC.

Creators

Jenny Lacika grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she learned to work together with an older brother and a younger brother. She graduated from MIT after discovering how math could break down walls and open doors. Jenny is the author of Again, Essie?, winner of the Mathical Award, and Beto's Berry Treasure. She lives in her hometown with her husband and two kids.

Laura Sandoval Herrera is a Brooklyn-based illustrator and designer born in Mexico. She earned her BFA in product design from Parsons School of Design and is pursuing her MFA in illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York. When she isn't drawing or painting, she's usually playing with her dog, Scribble, and her cat, Potato. This is her debut book.
www.laurasanherr.com
Laura Sandoval Herrera View titles by Laura Sandoval Herrera

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
Penguin Random House Comics Retail