Valerie Rivera
Children's author and poet
Hello! I'm Valerie Rivera, known to many as VA Rivera, a former New York elementary and ENL teacher with thirty years of experience, now channelled into writing poetry and books for children.
My books, including I Am Puppy, Kids Read and Write Japanese Haiku and Tanka, bring Japanese poetic forms to life in classrooms and homes. I love guiding kids to write poems about nature, friendship, feelings, even farm animals—anything that stirs the imagination.
My workshops—live or online—are upbeat, music‑infused and gentle. Children explore poetry through discussion, themes, model poems and their own writing. There’s laughter, creativity—and occasionally yoga with my cats SweetiePie and Miss Tish, who add their own chapter to the fun.
I aim to make poetry feel welcoming and magical. Teachers appreciate how my sessions support language skills; parents love how their children leave empowered and proud. And yes—I offer a free bedtime‑story reading guide for early bookings, especially for schools and libraries.
