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It was a success!

Last Saturday, Bulilit Lit for YolandaPH Relief raised Php 62,620 for the children affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Thank you so much to the following groups for making the event possible: Adarna House Alitaptap Storytellers Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) Anvil Publishing Flipside Publishing Halo Halo World Hiyas/OMF Literature Kuwentista ng Mga Tsikiting (KUTING) Lampara Books Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) Sipat Lawin Ensemble Tahanan Books Thank you most especially to all the people who visited the event and did their Christmas shopping there! Your money will go to a good cause. We hope you enjoy the books and art and other items you bought at Bulilit Lit for YolandaPH Relief. :o) 

Children's Lit Community Gives Back

In an effort to contribute to on-going relief and rehabilitation endeavors, the children’s literature community in the Philippines is coming together to raise more funds for the survivors of typhoon Yolanda. The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) , Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting (KUTING) , Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) , and Adarna House bring you Tinda-Tindahan, Kuwento-Kuwentuhan: Bulilit Lit for YolandaPH Relief , a day dedicated to children affected by the devastating storm. Join us on Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Raya School Gym, 109 Sct. Fernandez corner Sct. Torillo, Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City for the following activities: * Sale: Rummage through and purchase books, artwork, collectibles, and other previously-loved items. Or drop-off your previously-loved items to sell and donate. * Meet & Greet Sessions: Grab the opportunity to chat with your favorite authors and illustrators. Get your books signed and your photos ta

Ngumiti si Andoy: Author and Illustrator Interviews

  Welcome to the second day of the Ngumiti si Andoy blog tour ! Ngumiti si Andoy , written by Xi Zuq ( /Shee Zuk/) and illustrated by Dominic Agsaway , is the winner of the 2013 PBBY Salanga and Alcala Prizes and the latest bilingual (Filipino and English) picture book from Adarna House .   In Ngumiti si Andoy , a boy named Andrew is drawing the statues in his school's heroes park when the statue of Andres "Andoy" Bonifacio , the Father of the Philippine Revolution, comes to life. Andrew and Andoy have a conversation about Andoy's parents, siblings, and wife. The book has great educational value - t eachers and parents can use it to introduce children to the hero or complement formal history lessons - but it is not overtly didactic.      For the Ngumiti si Andoy blog tour, I am interviewing both the book's author and illustrator, as well as sharing some of the illustrator's initial sketches for the book. Let's start with the deb

Authors and Illustrators for the Victims of Typhoon Haiyan

If you are an author, please consider participating in this online auction for the benefit of Typhoon Haiyan victims.   And if you are an illustrator, please consider selling illustrations for the benefit of Typhoon Haiyan victims.

Don't worry. You didn't miss it!

Because of Typhoon Haiyan the 3rd Filipino ReaderCon and 2nd Filipino Readers' Choice Awards ceremony were moved to Dec. 7.

The 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards (Children's Picture Book and Novel in English Categories)

I'd like to congratulate the finalists for the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards , especially the finalists in the children's picture book category: Ako’y Isang Mabuting Pilipino by Noel Cabangon and Jomike Tejido (Lampara Books)  Mga Saranggola sa Tag-ulan by Eugene Evasco and Bernadette Solina-Wolf (LG&M Corporation)     Ninoy, Cory, and Noynoy by Yvette Fernandez and Abi Goy (Dream Big Books) And the finalists in the novel in English category, all young adult novels! Salingkit: A 1986 Diary by Cyan Abad-Jugo (Anvil)  Voices in the Theater by A.S. Santos (Flipside Publishing)  Woman in a Frame by Raissa Rivera Falgui (Flipside Publishing) If you want to catch the announcement of the winners of the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards, please attend the 3rd Filipino ReaderCon on Nov. 9 at the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University!

Thank you, Studio Dialogo.

THANK YOU to Studio Dialogo for designing the new logo of the Filipino Readers' Choice Awards . Studio Dialogo is the design company of Filipino children's book illustrators Abi Goy , Fran Alvarez , Liza Flores , and Rommel Joson . The entire Filipino Readers' Choice Awards committee thanks and applauds you!!!!

2014 PBBY-Salanga Prize: Call for Entries

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting entries for the 2014 PBBY-Salanga Prize. The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Library of the Philippines (NLP). The winner shall receive twenty-five thousand pesos (Php 25,000) and a medal. Prizes will be awarded in an appropriate ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children’s Book Day 2014. CONTEST RULES The contest is open to all Filipino citizens except those who are related to any PBBY member up to the third degree of consanguinity. Stories should be intended for children ages 6 to 12 years old. The plot and the sequence must be capable of sustaining an illustrated book of 28 to 32 pages. Entries may be in Filipino or English. Entries must be in hard copy, double-spaced, on short bond paper. Maximum length is five (5) pages. A contestant may send in more than one (1) entry. Each entry must be signed by a pen name

Press Release: Submit to the Scholastic Asian Book Award!

Have you written a children’s story that is inspired by Asia? The Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA) is the joint initiative of the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) and Scholastic. SABA recognises children's writers of Asian origin and their efforts to celebrate Asian life and experiences, and share them with the world. The award also aims to promote the understanding of the Asian experience and its expression in innovative and creative forms. Click here to learn how to submit your story. The closing date for the 2014 SABA is October 21, 2013, 5 p.m. (Singapore time) and the results will be declared in May 2014, at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content.

Preliminary Results for the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards

Below are the top six children's picture books after one week of voting for the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards . There is still one week left to vote, so these results could definitely change. It's all up to the voters! The top three books will be judged by a panel of children. :o) Mga Saranggola sa Tag-Ulan (Kites in the Rain) by Eugene Evasco and Bernadette Solina-Wolf (LG&M Corporation) Naaay! Taaay! by Kristine Canon and Vanessa Tamayo (Adarna)   Alamat ng Anay by Mikhail C. Jamisola and Rowin T. Agarao (Lampara)   Ako’y Isang Mabuting Pilipino by Noel Cabangon and Jomike Tejido (Lampara ) Anong Gupit Natin Ngayon? by Russell Molina and Hubert Fucio (Adarna)   Siya Ba Ang Inay Ko? by Segundo D. Matias Jr. and Jomike Tejido (Lampara)

VOTE for your favorite 2012 Filipino children's picture book!

Click here to vote for your favorite 2012 Filipino children's picture book in the Filipino Readers' Choice Awards. Kid judges will read the three books with the most votes and choose a winner!

This is how we can all celebrate International Literacy Day!

An International One Day - One Story Campaign Pratham Books , a multilingual non-profit children's publishing house in India, is looking for international participants for their One Day - One Story campaign. They have conducted four such events in India, and during the last event, more than 250 volunteers conducted storytelling sessions. This time, they are hoping to make it a bigger campaign by inviting international participants. Are you interested? :o) International Literacy Day is on Sept. 8 and Pratham Books wants to celebrate the joy of reading around this day. Since Sept. 8 is a Sunday, the storytelling sessions will be on Sept. 7 in order to include more schools and organizations.    How Does One Day - One Story Work?   For participants in India, a copy of the book ( Paplu, the Giant by Ramendra Kumar and Zainab Tambawalla) and a banner will be sent by the Pratham Books team. International participants will be sent a PDF copy of the book - the i

What are your favorite Filipino picture books from 2012?

Nominate them for the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards - Children's Picture Book Category! The Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards develop awareness and appreciation of Philippine literature, recognize the reader’s role in creating the meaning and experience of a literary work, and give readers a voice in the Philippine book industry. For the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards, you may now nominate your favorite Philippine-published books from 2012, in the following categories: * children’s picture book * chick lit * novel in English * novel in Filipino * comic/graphic novel * short story anthology * essay anthology * poetry Nominations are open until August 23.  To nominate a book, just fill out the online nomination form on the Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards website.

Miscellany 8-7-2013

* The winner of the EDSA giveaway is . . .  Kathryn Anne Hilario ! Congratulations, Kathryn. Please contact me soon (asiaintheheartATyahooDOTcom) with your mailing address so that I can get the book out to you. :o) * For those of you who missed it, here is the link to Michael Jude Tumamac 's interview of me for Kalatas Literary Ezine . * The Filipino Readers' Choice Awards - Children's Picture Book Category will be open for nominations on the 9th of this month! Go to this link on the 9th and nominate your favorite Filipino children's picture book from 2012! 

A Day in the Market, an iPad App from Adarna House

This post is especially for readers outside the Philippines who have been wondering how they can celebrate Philippine National Children's Book Month. You can enjoy this children's book iPad app - in English and for FREE! Filipino children's book publisher Adarna House entered the iPad app market earlier this year by developing A Day in the Market , which is based on the Philippine National Children's Book Award-winning Araw sa Palengke written by May Tobias-Papa and illustrated by Isabel Roxas (published by Adarna House in 2008). A Day in the Market is excellent and FREE. Children are taken along a little girl and her mother's trip to the market, where the little girl is amazed by all the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and other experiences. She promised her mother that she wouldn't point to things at the market and ask for them, and at the end of the day, the little girl is rewarded for her patience and obedience.     Two things are very im

Giveaway: EDSA by Russell Molina and Sergio Bumatay III

EDSA by Russell Molina and Sergio Bumatay III (Adarna House and the EDSA People Power Commission, 2013) is a picture book done right. It's the story of the Philippines' nonviolent 1986 EDSA Revolution presented as an interactive counting book. Children are treated to minimal text (in Filipino) and iconic images of the revolution, such as radios, yellow ribbons, military tanks, flowers, and thousands of Filipinos united. Molina used counting because, like counting, the EDSA Revolution was something that started quietly and then escalated. It's brilliant: Gently introducing the EDSA Revolution to children instead of force-feeding a history lesson or hitting them over the head with it. Children will be awed by the illustrations and will have fun counting the birds, soldiers, priests and nuns, supply trucks, and flags in the book, but they will also naturally ask questions about their stories. The book then becomes a springboard for family conversations and classroom dis

Bugtong Bugtong 2: More Filipino Riddles by Daniel Palma Tayona

Bugtong Bugtong 2: More Filipino Riddles By Daniel Palma Tayona Tahanan Books, 2013 A tribute to Rene O. Villanueva's 1998 classic book Bugtong, Bugtong Riddle: Sariling-sarili mo na, ginagamit pa ng iba. Answer: Pangalan ! This illustrated collection of 57 Filipino riddles is fun for everyone. I can definitely see a parent or child reading aloud from this book, trying to stump the rest of the family. I can see bored teens reading these riddles to each other too! I read some of the riddles to my teen students and some to my adult friends and there's just something so satisfying about seeing one triumphant face shout out the correct answer from among a group of confused faces. I can also see a child poring over this book by his or herself. Everything about Bugtong Bugtong 2 's book design is kid friendly: Everything from the type size and face to the book's size and the thickness of the paper make the book very inviting and easy to read. The ink and gouache

The Oath I Took on National Children's Book Day 2013

I, Tarie Sabido, do solemnly swear to serve the Philippine Board on Books for Young People by upholding its constitution and by-laws; by fulfilling my role as Chair; and, by dedicating my time and talent to help fulfill the PBBY's vision to make every child a reader, every reader a lover of books. So help me God.

Ako'y Isang Mabuting Pilipino (I Am A Good Filipino) by Noel Cabangon and Jomike Tejido

This one is a real crowd pleaser: Ako'y Isang Mabuting Pilipino , Lampara Books ' 2012 picture book adaptation of Noel Cabangon 's song, with Cabangon's original Filipino lyrics, functional English translations by Becky Bravo , and illustrations by Jomike Tejido ! Cabangon's inspiring lyrics remind children of the ways they can be good Filipinos, such as doing their best in school and obeying their parents. There are plenty of reminders for adults too, such as following traffic rules and not selling their votes during elections. Tejido's illustrations are warm and wholesome, acrylic paintings on hand-woven mats that depict different ways to be good citizens.    You just can't go wrong with Ako'y Isang Mabuting Pilipino ! Children and adults will understand and appreciate the lyrics and paintings. The chords of the song are provided, so music lovers can play and sing along. There are notes and guide questions for educators. There is even

I hope to see you there!

Celebrating National Children's Book Month in Baguio City?

Please attend this lecture! :o)

Don't forget!

Please don't forget to like the Facebook page of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) to follow all the different celebrations for National Children's Book Month. ~^o^~

How Poets Can Celebrate National Children's Book Month!

Write and submit a poem to this landmark anthology! The editors of the forthcoming anthology of Philippine children’s poetry, Ginto’t Pilak, Namumulaklak: Antolohiya ng mga Tula, Berso at Awit Pambata sa Pilipinas , are extending their last day of submissions to July 31, 2013. Any form of children’s poetry will be accepted (rhymed and metered, free verse, shape/form poetry, narrative poetry, etc.). The anthology will also accept submissions from other Philippine languages aside from Filipino, such as Iloko, Pangasinense, Pampango, Bikol, Hiligaynon, Cebuano/Bisaya, Waray, Chavacano, Tausug, etc., provided they have an accompanying translation in Filipino. Writers are encouraged to write into poetry the colorful life, traditions, and culture of Filipino children wherever they are. Email your poems to tulangpambataantolohiya@gmail.com with the heading “SUBMISSION FOR ANTHOLOGY” or “TULANG PAMBATA” along with a biographical note and contact number. Contributors are also encouraged to vi

Candy Magazine's Fiction Special

This month's issue of Candy , a magazine for Filipina teens, includes a fiction special! Pretty perfect timing, huh? :o) The fiction special includes three stories for older teens (ages 16-19) which are described as "super short, so-you stories that will change your life." I've read them and I wouldn't say that they will change readers' lives, but the stories are definitely about life changes: "Sparrows" by Leslie Lipa is about losing a mother, "Is there even a future here?" by Joanna Kennedy is about breaking up, and "Arrival" by Marla Miniano is about reuniting with an estranged father. My favorite is "Is there even a future here?" because it's a realistic and entertaining depiction of an "amicable breakup" that I feel will really appeal to older teen readers.   I wonder if Candy features at least one short story every issue. THEY SHOULD!

How Theater Lovers Can Celebrate National Children's Book Month

Watch Tanghalang Pilipino's musical adaptation of the children's book Sandosenang Sapatos by Dr. Luis Gatmaitan! Sandosenang Sapatos, the Musical runs from July 13 to 21 at Tanghalang Huseng Batute in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Regular tickets are Php600 and student tickets are Php300. There is a 20% discount on the regular ticket price for senior citizens, government employees, military employees, and PWDs. Tickets are available at all TicketWorld outlets. For inquiries, you may contact Enzo of Tanghalang Pilipino: 0999-8843821.

Celebrating Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! with Illustrator Sergio Bumatay III

National Children's Book Month is the perfect time to read or reread Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! by Nanoy Rafael and Sergio Bumatay III (Adarna House, 2008). The book is a product of the silver anniversary Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) Salanga and Alcala prizes, and is one of my favorite Filipino children's books. Recently the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Sweden awarded Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! the Peter Pan Prize , an annual prize for a foreign children's or young adult book of high quality published in Sweden. ( Bokförlaget Trasten is Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! 's publisher in Sweden.) CONGRATULATIONS! Here is IBBY Sweden’s citation for the book: "The Filipino picture book Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! represents a part of the world not often seen in Swedish publishing for children. The theme, however, is universal: A child getting a younger sibling. The boy Isko’s anxiety about the changes he suspects will take place in his famil