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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, LasMayores.com. 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

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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.

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, LasMayores.com. 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

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