Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén wins four awards at the 2020 International Latino Book Awards
San Juan, Puerto Rico - At the twenty-second gala of the International Latino Book Awards, held on September 12 in Los Angeles, California, Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén , a children's book by Lara Mercado and Armando Valdés, was winner in several categories, becoming one of the most awarded books of 2020.
The gala, produced by the Empowering Latino Futures organization, awards each year literary publications that recognize and promote Latino culture, being the largest Latino cultural award in the United States. This year 3,194 authors participated and 297 winners were recognized in various categories.
Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén won first place in the categories of “Mariposa Awards: Best First Book - Children & Youth” (best first book for children), “Best Website Promoting a Book” (best website to market a book) and “Best Use of Illustrations Inside the Book” (best use of illustrations inside a book), as well as a second place in the category of “Alma Flor Ada Best Latino Focused Children's Picture Book” (best book children's illustrated for Latinos). The judges highlighted the way in which the narrative traces traditional ties between Puerto Rico and the diaspora, and the quality of its digital tools to promote reading between parents and children. They also highlighted the quality of Nívea Ortíz 's illustrations and the printed publication.
“We are extremely proud of our participation in this award. This story is a celebration of our traditions, and a gift to our daughter and to all the children of Puerto Rico, whether they live here or anywhere in the world. This recognition of our beautiful tradition of the Three Wise Men, in highly competitive categories with authors from all over Latin America, is proof that our stories are important, must be told, and can appeal to a market beyond Puerto Rico,” explained Lara Mercado.
Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén tells the story of how a Puerto Rican girl and her magical coquí guide the Three Wise Men to the first Christmas. In gratitude, the Magos promise the girl to visit all the Puerto Rican children whenever they are called by the singing of a coquí.
Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén is available online and at points of sale throughout the island. More information about the book, stuffed animal and other products is available at www.adoptauncoqui.com or on the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages as “Adopt Un Coquí”.