LI YUN ALVARADO
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Li Yun Alvarado's Blog

Poet, Parent, Puerto Rican! ¡Wepa!
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Amplifying Puerto Rican and underrepresented voices while supporting aspiring & emerging writers through her writing, teaching, and advocacy.

Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase using my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way!
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Comelibritos Corner: Navidades Boricuas

12/15/2020

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Picture Books for Puerto Rican Navidad

In Puerto Rico La Navidades are celebrated from Thanksgiving to las Octavitas (the eight days after Reyes -- aka January 14).

I wanted to celebrate our unique approach to the season by featuring some of the picture books that best capture the spirit of our Navidades Boricuas.

Several of the picture books below need to be purchased directly from the publisher, so it's a good idea to snag these titles ASAP if you'd like to enjoy them this holiday season.

I've also  included below the Sesame Street Holiday CD that features María & Luis singing an aguinaldo (traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Carol).

¡Wepa! ¡Feliz Navidad!

For holiday celebrations beyond Puerto Rico, check 0ut this booklist:
  • Picture Books for the Holidays: Thanksgiving through Tres Reyes

ABC Parranda Book: Picture book featuring two children, one holding the Puerto Rican flag, the other holding a güiro.
ABC Parranda
​by ABC Coquí

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Anti-Racist Parenting

6/3/2020

 

Resources for Raising Anti-Racist Kids


My partner and I believe that #BlackLivesMatter and that one of the most important contributions we can make to movements for social justice is raising our kids right.

We are committed to raising kids who are not afraid to take *action* in order to combat racism (in themselves, in their families, in their communities), and who believe in and will fight for equity, inclusion, and social justice.

For context: we are a multiethnic, multiracial, bilingual (Spanish/English), MexiRican family, living in one of the most diverse cities in the United States.

We know that combatting the anti-blackness that runs rampant within our Latinx communities will be central to the work we do as parents. We also know we must prepare our kids for the possibility that they might face discrimination or witness other loved ones facing discrimination.
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About these Resources

I've compiled the resource guides and reading lists below to help us with our own Anti-Racist parenting work, and I share them here in the hopes they may be useful to you as well.
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Comelibritos' Corner: "R is for Rhyme" & More Great Picture Books for Your Little Poets

4/7/2019

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Happy National Poetry Month!

It's never too early introduce your littles to poetry, and I've compiled a list of picture books that can help you do just that.

Below I've included books that feature poetry as well as books that share the biographies of great poets.

The starred (*) titles are books I own or have borrowed from the library, and the rest are titles I hope to check out soon.

​I've also included a link to my poetry collection Words or Water, but that one is just for the adults ;)
Stack of picture books about poets and poetry.
What picture books featuring poetry do you and your family love?

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Comelibritos' Corner: Women's History Month!

3/8/2019

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Picture Books: Women's History Month & International Women's Day!


Happy Women's History Month and International Women's Day (3/8)!
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For this edition of Comelibritos' Corner (Little Bookworm's Corner), I've compiled picture books that celebrate extraordinary women for you to share with the littles in your life. Add some of these to your collection and enjoy them all year round!
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The books below are organized in four categories:
  • Board Books Celebrating Extraordinary Women
  • Picture Books Celebrating Extraordinary Women
  • Picture Book (Auto)Biographies of Puerto Rican Women
  • More Picture Book (Auto)Biographies.

The titles with a (*) next to their names are books I own or have taken out of the library and can recommend first hand. The rest are titles I think sound interesting and I'm planning to check out myself soon. 

Happy Reading! & ¡Que Vivan Las Mujeres!

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Comelibritos' Corner: Holiday Picture Books

11/13/2018

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Holiday Picture Books: Thanksgiving through Día de Los Reyes

That whirlwind that is the holiday season is almost upon us!

While the holidays can be stressful, there is one part I really enjoy: displaying our holiday picture books and discovering new ones!

I always think about how books can serve as both mirrors and windows for the little ones in our lives.

We use books as mirrors when we share our family's holiday traditions -- like watching the Macy's Parade, singing aguinaldos, or waiting for gifts from Los Tres Reyes Magos.

We use books as windows when we read together about how other families celebrate during this time of the year.
Holiday Picture Books (Charlie Brown Christmas Tree surrounded by Ornaments).
Holiday books also make great GIFTS! So if you're not sure what to get for your favorite kids this season, consider adding to their holiday book collections.

To get you started, I've included some of our family's favorite books (and a music album) below!

Don't forget to share some of your family's favorites in the comments.

​¡Felicidades!

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Comelibritos Corner: Fall Celebrations

10/23/2018

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Picture Books for Fall, Halloween & Dia de Los Muertos

Halloween & Dia de Los Muertos is next week! Just wanted to share some of our favorite picture books for this season.
Sugar Skull Painting with the border text: Picture Books: Fall, Halloween & Día De Los Muertos. WWW.LIYUNALVARADO.COM
I painted this calavera myself!
Check out the books below and share them with some of the little ones in your life!

*Updated with new books on 9/21/21.

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Comelibritos' Corner: Books for Little Baseball Fans!

10/16/2018

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Books for Little Baseball Fans

If your family is anything like mine then it's watching a lot of baseball these days in anticipation of the World Series!

From mi Bisabuela (a Dodgers fan) to my little one (whose word for baseball is Do-dus), Baseball has been a family affair for as long as I can remember.

This year is no different and it's baseball baseball baseball all the time up in here!

Go Dodgers!
Teddy Bear in a Dodgers uniform reads a baseball board book.
In honor of the season, here's a peek at our hearty collection of Books for Little Baseball Fans. Plus I've thrown in a few bonus books for the young at heart.

Enjoy the list below, grab a book or two for your favorite kiddos, and don't forget to share this list with all the baseball lovers in your life!

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Comelibritos' Corner: Puerto Rico

7/16/2018

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Spend Your Summer with Puerto Rico:
​Picture Book Recommendations (Part 2/3)

This is the second of the three part series: Spend Your Summer with Puerto Rico.

In case you missed it, check out Part 1: Book Recommendations.

Today's edition of Spend Your Summer with Puerto Rico turns its attention towards my youngest audience and to the adults who love them.
Picture of picture books with text that says: Spend your summer with Puerto Rico: Picture Books. Footer reads: www.liyunalvarado.com
As I've mentioned before, I love picture books and I've collected them for years--long before I became a mother myself.
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My ever growing picture book collection focuses on stories from underrepresented communities in general, but one of the most robust sections is, unsurprisingly, the one containing picture books about Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans.


The list below features some of my son's and my favorites. They should be on your list for any of the comelibritos in your life--especially the Puerto Rican ones.

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UPDATED: Picture Books for This (Difficult) Political Climate

6/27/2018

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I have collected picture books--with an emphasis on books that center the stories of underrepresented communities--since long before I became a mother.

In light of the treatment of immigrant families on our southern border, yesterday's Supreme Court decision to uphold the President's Muslim ban, and today's announcement about Justice Kennedy's retirement, I'm sharing a few picture books that speak to the issues of the day.

Yo Soy Muslim, My Diary from Here to There, Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx, I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes her Mark, A is for Activist, and A de Activista​ are some of the books I'm sharing with my son these days.

They are also the books helping me believe in hope.

Now, more than ever, We Need Diverse Books!

​I am eternally grateful for the ones below and I hope they will bring you and yours a glimmer of hope. Please share them with the little people in your life and anyone you love who needs a little light in these dark days.
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Full Disclosure:

As always, I encourage you to support your local bookstores and libraries! Be sure to ask them to stock these books if they don't already carry them. 

If, however, you plan to purchase any of these books online, please use my affiliate links below; as an affiliate, I may earn a small commission for qualifying purchases (at no cost to you) which supports my work.


You may also consider finding your favorites on these alternate booksellers' sites:
AbeBooks.com. Thousands of booksellers - millions of books.

Yo Soy Muslim: A Father's Letter to His Daughter
by Mark Gonzales
Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini


From Muslim and Latino poet Mark Gonzales comes a touching and lyrical picture book about a parent who encourages their child to find joy and pride in all aspects of their multicultural identity.

Dear little one,
…know you are wondrous.
A child of crescent moons,
a builder of mosques,
a descendant of brilliance,
an ancestor in training.

Written as a letter from a father to his daughter, Yo Soy Muslim is a celebration of social harmony and multicultural identities. The vivid and elegant verse, accompanied by magical and vibrant illustrations, highlights the diversity of the Muslim community as well as Indigenous identity. A literary journey of discovery and wonder, Yo Soy Muslim is sure to inspire adults and children alike.

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    Cover Image. Workbook for Writers & Creatives. Write Your Year: Reflect, Set Intentions, and Chart a Course for Your Writing Life.

    Write Your Year

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    Writers & Creatives
    ​by Li Yun Alvarado
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    Words or Water
    by Li Yun Alvarado
    Finishing Line Press, 2016

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    Li Yun Alvarado

    Puerto Rican Poet, Scholar & Parent

    Amplifying Puerto Rican and underrepresented voices while supporting aspiring & emerging writers through her writing, teaching, and advocacy.

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Cover of the poetry collection, Words or Water. Features a black and white print of a woman with outlines of birds in her hair.
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