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    ¡Viva Valenzuela!

    Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles

    Author Nathalie Alonso
    Illustrated by John Parra
    Ebook
    Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek
    10"W x 9"H
    On sale Mar 24, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9781662680281
    Grades 2-5
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    Meet LA Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, the rookie who became a symbol of Mexican American pride and a hero to Latinos everywhere.

    Celebrate Latino sports history in this inspiring, stunningly illustrated baseball book for kids ages 7-10, from an award-winning baseball reporter and a Pura Belpré Honoree.

    Fernando Valenzuela was just barely out of his teens when he came to America from Mexico to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the 1980s, Mexican Americans rarely followed baseball. But after Fernando pitched eight winning games, the entire country was talking about him. People in Mexico began listening to games on their radios, and more Mexican Americans in LA began coming to games. A rookie on a historic streak, Fernando became an international star! And the fans gained something too: a hero they could call their own.

    Baseball reporter Nathalie Alonso and author of Call Me Roberto! joins Mexican American illustrator John Parra to celebrate this sensational player who was known for his signature pitching style.
    Nathalie Alonso is a Cuban American bilingual writer and journalist based in New York City. A seasoned baseball reporter, her writing has appeared in National Geographic, Outside, and Refinery29, among other outlets. She is currently a reporter and producer at MLB.com’s Spanish-language sister site, MLB Español. Visit nathaliealonso.com. View titles by Nathalie Alonso
    John Parra’s illustrations for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, written by Monica Brown, earned the book a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award and a Pura Belpré Honor. He also illustrated Américas Book Award winner Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, and Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora, both of which received Pura Belpré Honors. Spanish is the Language of My Family by Michale Genhart, received the Tomás Rivera Book Award and an Américas Honor, and Growing an Artist, which John also wrote, received four starred reviews and was a Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year.  John Parra currently resides in Queens, New York, with his wife, Maria. Learn more at JohnParraArt.com. View titles by John Parra
    "Viva Valenzuela! by baseball reporter Nathalie Alonso (Call Me Roberto!) and illustrated by John Parra (Little Libraries, Big Heroes) passionately chronicles the endearing story of baseball player Fernando Valenzuela and his effects on the Los Angeles Latino community of the 1980s...Parra's distinctive acrylic-on-board art features brilliant, fully saturated colors on a textured surface, giving the illustrations a deliberately weathered look. The images superbly capture the atmosphere, action, and emotion in this touching picture book biography. Back matter offers notes from Alonso and Parra, as well as additional information on the screwball and Latinos' relationship to the Dodgers, plus a bibliography. With ¡Viva Valenzuela!, Alonso and Parra have pitched an extraordinary work every young baseball fan is sure to want to catch."—Shelf Awareness

    ★ “Lavish, visually rich illustrations by Parra are done in a folk style with flat colors and figures that appear almost like cutouts... beautifully presented, written with deep admiration; recommended for elementary libraries, ­especially where baseball is popular.”—School Library Journal, starred review

    “Siebert Honor Book author Alonso highlights not only Valenzuela's impressive career but the positive impact he had on Latino Angelenos, who loved seeing a Mexican player who felt like one of them. Illustrated with Parra's bright, blocky artwork, the book focuses mainly on Valenzuela’s rookie year and fittingly concludes with a World Series Game against the Yankees. An informative, visually engaging picture book for baseball fans.”—Booklist

    “...this book is a grand slam for young baseball fans. Parra’s acrylic illustrations have a retro Americana feel, using muted, dusty pastels balanced with a few bold, primary-adjacent accents, giving them a sun-faded warmth that complements Fernando’s inspirational journey. A well-pitched celebration of talent, perseverance, and the power of representation.”—Kirkus Reviews

    "Alonso (Call Me Roberto!, rev. 9/24) here highlights another significant Latino Major League Baseball player: Mexican-born left-handed screwball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela (1960–2024), who made his rookie debut for the L.A. Dodgers in 1981... Alonso’s prose is straightforward and uplifting. Parra’s (recently Engle’s Eloísa’s Musical Window, rev. 9/24) illustrations, done in his signature style of acrylic on board with matte hues, feature saturated spreads that fill the pages, with baseball action taking center stage."—The Horn Book

    ¡Viva Valenzuela!: Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles illustration video

    Meet Nathalie Alonso +John Parra, creators of ¡Viva Valenzuela! Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles

    About

    Meet LA Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, the rookie who became a symbol of Mexican American pride and a hero to Latinos everywhere.

    Celebrate Latino sports history in this inspiring, stunningly illustrated baseball book for kids ages 7-10, from an award-winning baseball reporter and a Pura Belpré Honoree.

    Fernando Valenzuela was just barely out of his teens when he came to America from Mexico to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the 1980s, Mexican Americans rarely followed baseball. But after Fernando pitched eight winning games, the entire country was talking about him. People in Mexico began listening to games on their radios, and more Mexican Americans in LA began coming to games. A rookie on a historic streak, Fernando became an international star! And the fans gained something too: a hero they could call their own.

    Baseball reporter Nathalie Alonso and author of Call Me Roberto! joins Mexican American illustrator John Parra to celebrate this sensational player who was known for his signature pitching style.

    Author

    Nathalie Alonso is a Cuban American bilingual writer and journalist based in New York City. A seasoned baseball reporter, her writing has appeared in National Geographic, Outside, and Refinery29, among other outlets. She is currently a reporter and producer at MLB.com’s Spanish-language sister site, MLB Español. Visit nathaliealonso.com. View titles by Nathalie Alonso
    John Parra’s illustrations for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, written by Monica Brown, earned the book a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award and a Pura Belpré Honor. He also illustrated Américas Book Award winner Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, and Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora, both of which received Pura Belpré Honors. Spanish is the Language of My Family by Michale Genhart, received the Tomás Rivera Book Award and an Américas Honor, and Growing an Artist, which John also wrote, received four starred reviews and was a Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year.  John Parra currently resides in Queens, New York, with his wife, Maria. Learn more at JohnParraArt.com. View titles by John Parra

    Praise

    "Viva Valenzuela! by baseball reporter Nathalie Alonso (Call Me Roberto!) and illustrated by John Parra (Little Libraries, Big Heroes) passionately chronicles the endearing story of baseball player Fernando Valenzuela and his effects on the Los Angeles Latino community of the 1980s...Parra's distinctive acrylic-on-board art features brilliant, fully saturated colors on a textured surface, giving the illustrations a deliberately weathered look. The images superbly capture the atmosphere, action, and emotion in this touching picture book biography. Back matter offers notes from Alonso and Parra, as well as additional information on the screwball and Latinos' relationship to the Dodgers, plus a bibliography. With ¡Viva Valenzuela!, Alonso and Parra have pitched an extraordinary work every young baseball fan is sure to want to catch."—Shelf Awareness

    ★ “Lavish, visually rich illustrations by Parra are done in a folk style with flat colors and figures that appear almost like cutouts... beautifully presented, written with deep admiration; recommended for elementary libraries, ­especially where baseball is popular.”—School Library Journal, starred review

    “Siebert Honor Book author Alonso highlights not only Valenzuela's impressive career but the positive impact he had on Latino Angelenos, who loved seeing a Mexican player who felt like one of them. Illustrated with Parra's bright, blocky artwork, the book focuses mainly on Valenzuela’s rookie year and fittingly concludes with a World Series Game against the Yankees. An informative, visually engaging picture book for baseball fans.”—Booklist

    “...this book is a grand slam for young baseball fans. Parra’s acrylic illustrations have a retro Americana feel, using muted, dusty pastels balanced with a few bold, primary-adjacent accents, giving them a sun-faded warmth that complements Fernando’s inspirational journey. A well-pitched celebration of talent, perseverance, and the power of representation.”—Kirkus Reviews

    "Alonso (Call Me Roberto!, rev. 9/24) here highlights another significant Latino Major League Baseball player: Mexican-born left-handed screwball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela (1960–2024), who made his rookie debut for the L.A. Dodgers in 1981... Alonso’s prose is straightforward and uplifting. Parra’s (recently Engle’s Eloísa’s Musical Window, rev. 9/24) illustrations, done in his signature style of acrylic on board with matte hues, feature saturated spreads that fill the pages, with baseball action taking center stage."—The Horn Book

    Media

    ¡Viva Valenzuela!: Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles illustration video

    Meet Nathalie Alonso +John Parra, creators of ¡Viva Valenzuela! Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles

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