Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist

A young artist and her art live on in this tender, heartfelt book. We must remember.

Lemay has integrated Alithia's own artwork into the book's illustrations in very powerful ways... on the last few pages, we see Alithia's art exploding into shards, and other people hold her drawings on the book's final page 'When an artist dies, her art lives on in our hearts and minds

Lemay has integrated Alithia's own artwork into the book's illustrations in very powerful ways... on the last few pages, we see Alithia's art exploding into shards, and other people hold her drawings on the book's final page 'When an artist dies, her art lives on in our hearts and minds.' —School Library Journal

Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist reminds us why art is so powerful—and healing.—Parents Magazine

Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist captures the kind-hearted, vivacious spirit of our daughter, Alithia. Lemay compassionately celebrates the special way in which children like Alithia view our world as something full of love and color. With her own artwork featured throughout the book, Alithia's talent will continue inspiring others to embrace the joy and healing that creation can bring. —Alithia's Parents, Jess Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez

It is with great pride and pleasure that I add my voice today to the launching of a book that embodies the light through the cracks in social injustice. Alithia Ramirez will paint the possibility of life without guns in schools in the heart of all readers. Uvalde will never be forgotten. —F. Isabel Campoy, Member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language, Award-Winning Author of Maybe Something Beautiful

In the book Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, we see how much Alithia loved making art. She was always surrounded by art supplies and drawing things she saw and also things she imagined—colorful renderings of the world. Of course, like all artists, Alithia was not a stranger to frustration; sometimes her art looked different from what she saw! But even then, she would not stop creating. When Alithia Ramirez's life was tragically taken, it is her unstoppable art that finds its way into our hearts. In this book, we can hear Alithia's voice of love calling for us to be just as determined as she is at creating the work of art that we can all create together: a world full of color, joy, and peace, where children can be safe to dream the life they deserve. Viva Alithia! —Yuyi Morales, Pura Belpre Medalist and Caldecott Honoree

A tender and moving way for Alithia Ramirez to live on in our hearts and inspire young artists to create the world they want to see. —Juliet Menéndez, Author of Latinas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers