Book Review: Un Tropezón de Tres Años (A Three-Year Stumble)

Reviewed for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2025.

A Tale of Courage, Hope, and Math.

This enchanting tale follows the story of a grandfather who must cross a hill with a dark reputation. Known as "The Hill of Espanto" (The Hill of Dread), it is said that anyone who falls down its slopes is doomed to live only three more years. Despite the danger, the grandfather has no choice but to make the trek to reach the market.

One fateful day, the grandfather suffers the dreaded fall. As the years pass, the curse seems to take hold: after three years of health, he grows ill and weak. Even the reassurance of the best doctor in the land cannot shake the growing fear that the superstition is coming true.

But the story takes an unexpected turn when the grandfather’s granddaughter visits and hears the tale of the hill's curse. The girl, clever and curious, proposes a bold hypothesis: if one fall guarantees three years of life, wouldn’t more falls mean even more years? With nothing left to lose, they decide to test the theory. Together, they climb the hill, and the grandfather intentionally falls not once but multiple times.

To their amazement, the years pass without the curse taking effect. The hill, once feared, becomes a source of hope and joy as the grandfather embraces his newfound zest for life, rolling and tumbling with laughter. The dreaded Hill of Espanto is transformed into a mountain of hope.

Why This Book Shines
This delightful story is a testament to creativity, resilience, and the transformative power of perspective. Its simple, engaging language and vivid imagery captivate readers of all ages. The granddaughter’s clever solution highlights the importance of curiosity and critical thinking, while the use of math in the story is both educational and endearing.

Perfect for incorporating into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) or SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) curricula, the story emphasizes the role of perspective taking -- and shifting, imagination, and courage in overcoming challenges. Its timeless message and unqiue approach of turning fear into hope makes it a must-read for classrooms and families alike.

Conclusion
Un tropezón de tres años (A Three-Year Stumble) is a charming tale that entertains while inspiring readers to embrace creativity, question assumptions, and find hope in face of adversity. With truly multicultural, gender and generational diversity woven into the fabric of this sweet tale, it is a heartwarming story that will resonate with readers of all ages.

The End

*This picture book parable is by Korean-German artist Dayeon Auh and is based on the traditional Korean folktale “Samnyeongogae” (Three-Year Mountain Pass).

It's an Empowerment & Health Literacy Moment, and You're invited!

     The application period for the Valorena Online & Cocoa Kids Collection Scholarship has ended. We're excited to announce that we've received an impressive 165 applications from talented young women from across the country, representing 30 states and the Virgin Islands. Over four weeks, our distinguished panel of judges, which includes Sharon Ching, Leslie Fields-Cruz, Lorena Jones, and Sandra Montañez-Diodonet, Ph.D., will carefully review each essay to select a winner. 

     With such a diverse array of submissions, reflecting various voices and experiences of American youth today, the judging process is no small feat. Our judges come from diverse backgrounds themselves, ensuring a thoughtful evaluation of every entry. Throughout the judging period, we'll introduce one judge each week via Linkedin, allowing you to learn more about the accomplished women who will determine the winning entry. 

     To culminate this activity, you are invited to join us when we take a moment to honor our Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection Books' 2024 Scholarship Winner, finalists and judges. You'll learn more about our reading and health literacy mission, meet some our nation's most promising young women, and hear their inspiring stories during this informal, online gathering. 

The Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection® Books
Virtual Scholarship Reception 
Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 8-9PM EST

SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024, from 3-4PM EST

Tickets are available through Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valorena-publishing-and-cocoa-kids-collection-scholarship-reception-tickets-868293678767

We’re virtual this year, asking for donations that will support next year’s scholarship award, which is anticipated to be in-person event. Until then, we hope to see you and ask that you please help spread the word!

 

P.S. To support us in another way, please sponsor and/or donate a ticket. You can sponsor a ticket to be shared with one of our finalists or other guests by simply clicking the link above. On the Eventbrite page, select “Get a ticket.” Follow prompts to make a donation, then return the ticket to the organizer through the portal. We’ll pass it along to one of our finalists to use. This is in case there isn't simply someone you'd like to host to whom you would simply pass the ticket along. However you do it, thanks for supporting a great cause.

Dr. Valerie~

Creating a Beautiful Black Future and Black History

This year's Black History Month theme: "African Americans and the Arts" really resonates with me, as does the HBO Documentary "Black Art: In the Absence of Light." An alumnus of The Studio Museum Harlem program "Books, Authors & Kids," I was fortunate enough to receive the support of The Studio Museum Harlem community. It made a difference in my work and efforts, a difference I am working to honor as I continue in my artistic practice.

Today, I do this in many ways. First, I continue my broad efforts in multimodal formats, including the picture books space, and work through my rebranded enterprise, Valorena Publishing. Second, I pay that support forward by supporting young Black artists like the illustrator of my second edition, Miss Tosin Akinwande, an incredible talent who works with me from her native Lagos, Nigeria. Third, and most recently, giving back looks like the Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection Scholarship that is open through March 12th to aspiring students of the arts doing creative writing and illustration for use in the picture book genre. With more than 100 amazing and talented applicants to date, the sheer number of applicants lets me know the need for this kind of support is real.

More broadly, the need to support Black Art is critical because Black Art has the power to educate and inspire. It provides a window into the lives and experiences of Black people, and it helps to deepen our understanding of the world. Through Black Art, we demonstrate the beauty, resilience, and strength of the Black community and the struggles we have faced and overcome.

 

Black artists and artisans have shown us in beautifully striking ways how our culture has made a way when there was none. We’ve seen and created beauty time and again out of what others saw as scraps and garbage and reached new heights of transcendence when afforded opportunity. Black artists and artisans "show and prove" our cultural and collective exceptionalism, technicolor dreaming, in Black.

 

Black Art is American Art. It holds a wholly unique role in our culture, not only showcasing talent, but telling the stories of a people in a nation where they are often overlooked and undervalued. And African American practitioners, both celebrated and quotidian, have been at the forefront of cultural moments and movements advocating for our identity, civil rights, and social justice.

 

Overall, the contributions of African Americans to American art and culture are deeply woven into the fabric of the nation's identity, influencing not only artistic expressions but also societal attitudes and perceptions. Black Art is the heart, soul, face and fabric of the Culture. For me, Black Art and creativity is life.

 

This year as we celebrate Black History Month, let’s step up our collective support of the arts in the Culture by taking a moment to give back to the community. Visit an artists' space, support an aspiring artist on social media, or buy a piece of art created by a Black maker. When we support our artistic community, we support ourselves and help to create a beautiful and meaningful Black future and Black History.

Meet the Judges: Introducing the Cohort for the 2024 Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection Scholarship

Valorena Publishing is pleased and honored to introduce the judging cohort for the inaugural Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection Scholarship. 

Our esteemed panel will review and evaluate the more than 100 applications we've received to date to determine this year's winner. Please read on to learn about this amazing group of women to see how they have made impactful contributions to the world of publishing and media. These trailblazing and overall badass women are truly inspiring! 

The pages shown are from the Scholarship Program Media Kit. For more information or to get the full media kit, please contact me at Valerie@Valorenaonline.com.

(Click the image to see each of the two full-sized pages)