Valerie Rivera - Children's author and poet.
- Isobel Arden
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
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Meet Valerie Rivera - Writing books. Poetry workshops. Teaching young minds.
Valerie Rivera (professionally known as VA Rivera) is a New York educator turned children’s poet‑author who inspires young minds one verse at a time.
With three decades of experience teaching elementary ELA and ENL in Long Island, she’s now on a heartfelt mission: to spark a lifelong love of language. She penned her first poem at seven. Her teacher’s cheering “VERY GOOD” in red ink sealed the deal and she’s been writing ever since.
Valerie writes picture‑books like I Am Puppy and Kids Read and Write Japanese Haiku and Tanka, turning poetry into a creative adventure for ages 6–11 and younger, encouraging children to explore poetry through Japanese forms, acrostics, rhymes and more. Expect laughter, imagination, and the occasional cat cameo—her yoga sessions with SweetiePie and Miss Tish are legend.
Valerie’s witty warmth, combined with her educator’s insight, makes poetry feel accessible—and rather brilliant. She is available for school visits, online or in person, and often offers a free bedtime story reading guide with early bookings
The interview on Spotify
During this interview, Mark had access to a magic wand and a time machine and created Valeri's fantasy cultural year.
Valerie opened up about her deep admiration for the Mormon Temple in Washington, DC—she found its appearance breathtaking and personally meaningful. Mark then painted a playful picture of Valerie at a pop-up café outside the temple.
Her go-to drink? A fizzy mango beverage.
Her top book picks?
📚 The Book of Mormon
📚 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal
📚 On Writing by Stephen King
📚 The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
📚 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Valerie's Global Poetry Adventure
Mark offered Valerie a dream role: a fantasy year-long, globe-trotting mission to discover emerging and established poetry talents, backed by a prestigious - but fictional - Washington-based Family Foundation.
Valerie enthusiastically accepted, kicking off the journey in Paris, France—and committed to listening exclusively to Linda Ronstadt for the year after a musical challenge.
Dance Dreams in Paris
Mark imagined Valerie swept off to Paris by a group of young poets. They’d stay in a stunning flat overlooking Notre Dame, and attend an evening dance performance.
When asked which show she’d see if she could time-travel to any dance, Valerie chose the intimate Joyce Theater in Manhattan, where she could savour a range of styles, past and present.
French Food & Spanish Escapades
For dinner, Valerie leaned into French cuisine, craving crepes, vichyssoise, and even escargot, which she’d once been hesitant to try but grew to love.
Their journey then shifted to Barcelona, Spain, where they imagined poetry interpreters and marvelled at the city's famous church architecture—most likely Gaudí’s Sagrada Família.
Sports & a Breathtaking Ice Dance
The two bonded over favourite sports. Valerie enjoys watching volleyball, racquetball, and especially ice dancing.
They then imagined themselves in Tokyo, visiting a cutting-edge digital art gallery featuring icons like Monet.
A Week of Culture: Concerts, Theatre & Film
Plans for the week? A cultural marathon:
🎤 A historic pop/rock concert
🎭 A theatre play
🎶 A West End or Broadway musical
🎼 An opera
🎬 A film night
Valerie reminisced about seeing Blondie at NYC’s Palladium and acting in The Crucible in high school.
Musical pick: Les Misérables
Opera suggestion: Tosca (Mark’s intro recommendation)
They wrapped up agreeing to watch When Harry Met Sally together.
Valerie’s Cultural Year & Online Presence
As their creative thought experiment came to a close, Mark asked Valerie to pick a guest for a dream "hero lunch." Her choice? Jesus Christ.
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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Chief Culture Vulture
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