Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind

In early 2005, I started blogging about children's and YA books at Into the Wardrobe . At first I was blogging mostly about fantasy books from the U.S. and the U.K. Into the Wardrobe then grew into a more general children's and YA book blog. It is also a personal blog where I post about my family and work and friends. I started wondering if there were blogs with a special focus on Asian children's and YA books, and I started featuring Asian authors and books with Asian content at Into the Wardrobe. I found blog posts on Asian children's and YA books, but not sites wholly devoted to them. And I felt that what I was doing at Into the Wardrobe was not enough. So I decided to start a second blog. I absolutely love children's and YA books set in Asia, children's and YA books with Asian characters, children's and YA books with characters of Asian descent, Asian children's and YA book authors and illustrators, and children's and YA book authors and illustra...

British author Andy Mulligan and Australian author Christopher Cheng were in the Philippines Nov. 18-20 for LOL (Lit Out Loud), the very first Manila International Literary Festival. I was fortunate to see them there. The setting of Andy's latest novel for young readers, Trash (David Fickling Books, 2010), is based on the Philippines and the protagonist is based on a young Filipino Andy knows personally. School Library Journal has named Trash one of the best books of 2010. The novel Andy is currently writing is set in India. Chris Cheng is of Chinese descent and is a very prolific - and an award-winning - writer of children's books. He writes at least four books a year! His next picture book, Sounds Spooky , is illustrated by Sarah Davis and is an example of a perfect marriage of text and illustration. Andy and Chris spoke about what was selling in the children's book market. I liked how Andy defined children's books as not stories written for children, but sto...

The first children's book by a Japanese American writer was The Dancing Kettle by Yoshiko Uchida . It was edited by Margaret McElderry and published by Harcourt, Brace and Company in 1949.

If I haven't updated this blog, it probably means that I have updated my more general kidlit blog Into the Wardrobe , or contributed something to the group book blog Color Online . :o)

Soon I'll be wrapping up my series of interviews with the winners of the first Philippine National Children's Books Awards and will be reviewing books again. I've bought or received some beautiful, impressive books from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and India, and I'm excited to discuss them here. I've also got some really great books from the U.S. with Asian and/or Asian American content. What have you been reading lately? Any book recommendations for Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind? :o) And oh! Have you seen The New York Times ' list of Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010 ? Shadow (Chronicle Books) is on the list - it's the work of Korean illustrator Suzy Lee . (Is Suzy Lee still living in Singapore?) Big Red Lollipop (Viking), written by Pakistani Canadian author Rukhsana Khan and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is also on the list. Woot woot!!

Seriously. They are. Yesterday, I attended the book launch of Foldabots Toy Book 3 (K-Zone/Summit Media). Foldabots is a series of cut-out cardboard robots by children's book author/illustrator Jomike Tejido . Apart from the three toy books, the Foldabots can be seen monthly in K-Zone Magazine . The launch was a smashing success! There were lots of kids at the event and they were able to assemble Foldabots and be part of a game/contest. Assembling Foldabots is serious business. Here are more pictures from the launch. I loved all the kids! Ze line to get Jomike to sign a copy of Foldabots Toy Book 3 : There are few things better than kids geeking out over your books/products, respecting and admiring you, and thinking you are cool. =D Congratulations, Jomike! Linky, linky: Click here to read my interview with Jomike. Click here to visit Jomike's blog.

Citation for Araw sa Palengke [ A Day at the Market ], written by May Tobias-Papa and illustrated by Isabel Roxas ( Adarna House , 2008), from the Philippine National Children's Book Awards 2010 : "Listen well," her mother tells her. "Hold on to me tightly, ha? So you won't get lost. And don't point at things that you want me to buy for you." And so the story begins with a promise: "Yes, Nanay, I promise." Early one morning, a little girl accompanies her mother to the market. They take readers with them. The market is hot and noisy, smelly and muddy, but it's also fascinating and colorful, because it's seen from a point of view that's only about three feet tall. When they arrive home, and our little girl unpacks the bayong (bag) to find a surprise wrapped in newspaper at the bottom, it's her joy we feel in the little dance that she does. Araw sa Palengke is a true marriage of text and visual image. The story by May Tobias-Pa...