carlos matias

Carlos Matias is a Dominican-American writer and author whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Taste, Bon Appétit, Kitchn, and Edible, though what he’s most proud of is being born and raised in Queens, NY, where he learned the value of community and developed a deep love for empanadas.

His first children’s picture book, Emergency Quarters, celebrates community, family, Latinx culture, and, of course, empanadas.

You can find him on Instagram, LinkedIn, or your local bodega.

Honors/Awards/Mentions

Ezra Jack Keats Writers Honor

JLG Gold Standard Selection

Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book (for Outstanding Writing in Picture Books)

SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist

CCBC Choices Best Of list

Smithsonian Magazine - Best Picture Books of 2024

Publishers Weekly

Emergency Quarters

Author Carlos Matias and Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning illustrator Gracey Zhang deliver a stunning picture book based on Carlos’ finalist in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary “Best of the Year.”

Ernesto has waited his whoooole life to become a niño grande. A big boy. Now he’s finally old enough to walk the six blocks to school without his parents.

Every morning, his mom hands him a shiny new quarter and reminds him they’re for emergencies. If Ernesto needs her, she’s only a pay phone call away. But each day reveals a tempting new treat to enjoy with his friends: crisp packs of baseball cards, arcade games, hot tamales, and fresh juices! Ernesto has the coins jingling in his pocket, so how will he choose to spend them?  

what some important people said about “emergency quarters”

  • Set in the not-too-distant past, when kids could call loved ones from pay phones, this vibrant tale that began as a Times Metropolitan Diary entry celebrates Matias's 'first taste of sweet independence.''

    The New York Times Book Review

  • Matias uses descriptions, alliteration and assonance to craft a story perfect for reading aloud: just the right length, with good variety between dialogue and narration, and natural flow and rhythm.

    -Bookpage (starred review)

  • '[A] sparkling children’s debut from Matias. The creators convey bustling, life-giving bursts of sight, sound, taste, and smell.'

    Publishers Weekly
    (starred review)

  • Unexpected and delightful. Matias serves up a playful slice-of-life tale that bubbles with heart and gentle humor. A vibrant, bighearted account of a child’s first forays into independence.

    Kirkus Reviews
    (starred review)

  • Matias’s story is thematically rich, serving as an early math lesson on money and savings, while the depiction of a working-class family and community is matter-of-fact and welcome.

    -The Horn Book

  • A cozy step back into the past with a visual style reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats, this book is sure to be a conversation-starter and a hit for story time.

    School Library Journal
    (starred review)

  • An amiable view of a kid’s routine in a bustling, friendly city neighborhood. An author’s note reveals this charming tale as [the author's] own childhood experience, when a quarter in a pocket and a pay phone on the corner meant independence for a kid.'

    -ALA Booklist

FAQs

  • No matter how many fancy brunch spots I try, nothing comes close to a bodega breakfast—bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll and a Martinelli’s apple juice.

  • It all started with a tiny story in The New York Times’ Metropolitan Diary. I wrote about how my mom would give me a quarter every day as a kid in case of an emergency. Mabel Hsu, then an editor at Harper Collins saw my short story and reached out about turning it into a picture book. And now, here we are, an actual book about quarters, temptation, and the magic of neighborhood treats.

  • I do and I love them! Reading my book to my little homies has been the best part of this book journey. I’ve shared Emergency Quarters at schools, museums, book festivals and even at my old elementary school, where I was the distinguished speaker at their 8th-grade graduation. Want to learn more? Contact me here.

  • I am! In fact, I’m working on something right now... but shhh! Want to be the first to know? Sign up for my newsletter here.

Selected Appearances

  • NPR

  • NY 1 News

  • Dominican Writers Association

  • Publisher's Weekly

  • Brooklyn Book Festival

  • Museum of Food and Drink

  • PAMM (Perez Art Museum Miami)

  • Latin Kids Book Festival

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