Until Carlos' mom finds another job, she can only afford a small dingy apartment for the two of them to live in. Carlos tries to brighten it up, first by painting leaves on a crack in the wall to make it look like a tree branch, then by placing shining stars made out of gum wrappers on the branch. But each day his mom returns from her job hunt so exhausted that she never notices Carlos' handiwork. A realistic story about one child's attempts to cheer up a discouraged parent in a time of stress has a completely unpredictable surprise ending. (Ages 4-8)