A Coquí from Boriquén will donate books to newborns in four hospitals

by Lara Mercado December 1, 2021

Campaign begins to promote reading in early childhood

Publisher will donate copies of “Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén” so that all children born in four hospitals in San Juan, during the Christmas season, receive their first book as a gift

( San Juan, December 1, 2021 ) The Puerto Rican publisher of children's literature, Little Boricuas, Ashford Hospital, Pavia Hospital, University Hospital and Municipal Hospital, announce a campaign to promote reading in early childhood. As part of this initiative, the publisher will donate enough copies of "Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén" so that, from today until Three Kings' Day, all boys and girls born in the aforementioned medical facilities receive their first book.

“Reading in early childhood, sharing a moment with our children to read to them, the mere act of having a book in their hands, these are important formative experiences for a child from the first months of life. With this Christmas gift, we want to deepen our commitment to social responsibility as a company, and contribute to the quality of life and education of future generations of Puerto Ricans," said the manager of the publisher and co-author of the book, Lara Mercado .

Starting today, hospitals will receive hundreds of copies of the award-winning Christmas children's book, "Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén", to give to all families of newborns.

“Launching this initiative at Christmas has a lot of meaning. It is about giving the gift of reading to boys and girls who come to our world in this time that is so special for Puerto Rico and so magical for our childhood. In addition, it promotes not only education, but also adherence to our values and traditions as Puerto Ricans,” said Armando Valdés, also manager of the editorial, co-author and husband of Mercado.

The publisher, which this year published the second book in the series, "A Coquí from Boriquén Near and Far Sings Once Again", has dedicated itself to promoting Puerto Rican culture through children's literature aimed at both children living in Puerto Rico and those who are part of the diaspora.

“We thank the publishing house, Little Boricuas, for this valuable donation that, beyond books, represents the richness of Puerto Rican children's literature, the creativity of its authors and the promotion of values in our childhood through stories alluding to this special time of Christmas,” said the Secretary of Health, Carlos Mellado López.

“In a world of continuous evolution, such as the one we live in, in which knowledge quickly reaches old age, it is important to have reading habits that allow us to acquire updated knowledge provided by the vertiginous changes that our society is experiencing. Promoting reading in primary childhood is empowering an adult reader, with a greater flow of ideas, inspiration, mental and comprehensive health, and better value training,” continued the Secretary of Health.

For his part, the mayor of San Juan, Miguel Romero, said that “as mayor of the Capital City, I am proud to actively participate in this important initiative to promote reading at an early age. Both Maritere and I, by joining this gift of love, want to promote the present and future well-being of each resident of San Juan through projects that, like this one, bring to each home the world of adventures and possibilities that arise in our minds. and hearts every time we open a book in order to educate ourselves or discover something new."

“At Ashford Hospital we are proud and honored to be one of the hospitals selected for such an important initiative. We recognize the importance of reading from early childhood and the results it provides. From enriching culture, improving language, developing the ability to concentrate, memory and stimulating the imagination, to achieving family unity. Due to all these attributes, we are going to be carrying out this initiative with great enthusiasm and dedication,” said the executive director of Ashford Hospital, Lic. Itza Soto.

“It has been a great pleasure for us to receive this donation that will allow hundreds of mothers to share with the newborns whom we welcome in our institution, as part of the symbol of Christmas in Puerto Rico. At Pavia Santurce we are more than happy to be able to offer you this nice gesture and we join in the intention of promoting the practice of reading as part of healthy children's growth," said Domingo Cruz Vivaldi, executive director of Pavia Santurce Hospital.

“We feel deeply honored and grateful to the Ashford Hospital, Pavia, the Univeristy Hospital, the Secretary of Health, Carlos Mellado, and the Municipal Hospital and Mayor of San Juan, Miguel Romero, for the privilege of being able to reach so many families with this humble a gift at such a special moment for hundreds of fathers and mothers,” concluded Lara Mercado.

Little Boricuas is an editorial, marketing, sales and distribution platform for children's and youth books that began as a family, cultural and business adventure of the couple of authors. For more information about this initiative and about the publisher, go to www.AdoptaUnCoqui.com.