Once, on an alligator—shaped island in the middle of a wide sea, there lived a little girl who loved maps and dreamed of one day knowing other places . . . In another part of the world, at the mouth of a wide bay, there lived an old man who in his youth dreamed of sailing the world and making friends in foreign lands . . . When these two strangers connect through a message in a bottle, their communication inspires a visit that forges a lasting friendship, which expands both their worlds. Based on a true story, Arletis, Abuelo, and the Message in a Bottle is a lyrically written, lushly illustrated portrait of life in rural Cuba that will enchant children and adults alike.