RENI ROXAS is a writer, editor, and the publisher of Tahanan Books. She is the author of MÉME: The Baby Book (2020) and co-author of First Around the Globe: The Story of Enrique (1997). Her picture book Ay Naku! won a 2012 National Children’s Book Award. The tale on which the book, Pretty Peach and the Color-Matching Kaleidoscope is based won the 2019 First Prize Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for a children’s story in English.
In this blog interview, Ms. Roxas generously shares her inspiration, insight and back stories-- which are all wonderful to read, in writing Pretty Peach: and the Color-Matching Kaleidoscope.
1. Inspiration: What inspired you to write Pretty
Peach and the Color-Matching Kaleidoscope? Was there a specific moment or
idea that sparked the story?
I suppose you could say that the story of Pretty Peach was
inspired by three unrelated events:
A few
years ago I attended a writing residency in Port Townsend in Washington state,
where I listened to a storyteller perform a children’s story about a beautiful
cockroach being counseled by her grandmother about how to find a good husband
(what an unusual premise for a children’s story, no?...that’s the magic of
children’s books for you!)
Driving
home in my car to the ferry that day, I passed by a residential street with rows
of houses on either side of the road—all of them different, each home painted with
a color uniquely different from the next. It was the way the sun cast its light
on the facades of these houses—the play of light on color—that planted the
story seed in my mind.
Also, it
so happened I was choosing a new color to paint my kitchen cabinets at the
time; I’d been sorting through dozens and dozens of color swatches, mindful of
the way colors behaved in natural sunlight and under fluorescent and
incandescent light. This whole process of selection—choosing the right color,
one that I wouldn’t get sawa of easily, and one that complemented the kitchen—fascinated
me.
And so
these three random events—an inspiration, a drive down the road, and picking a
color swatch—formed the triptych that served as the basis for what would become
PRETTY PEACH and the Color-Matching Kaleidoscope.
Sometimes
you get the best ideas not sitting at a desk, but while your brain is in
motion—such as when you’re driving through someplace new!
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My book is about a
butterfly who ventures out into the world to find the love of her life. Out of
the millions and millions of butterflies out there, how will she know when
she’s met her perfect match?
Isn’t life all about choosing? Even children are taught
to make choices while they are very young. Will you have the popcorn or the
candy bar? Which blouse or T-shirt will you wear today? Should you go out to
play even when it’s drizzling out? And kids hear their parents make lots of
decisions based on a particular criteria. Mommy has decided not to go to the
movies because Lola is sick and she opts to stay home. The family will have
chicken for lunch because yesterday they had seafood. The decision-making process
dawns on kids early in life, whether they are aware of it or not. As they grow
older, the life choices they make will cast ever wider ripples and
consequences.
So I thought, why not write about something big, with
high stakes for the main character, something impactful. Why not make the story
about love and the whole bewildering, discombobulating process of finding a life mate?
The illustrator and my collaborator for this book, Adrian
Panadero, chose butterflies as his subject. It was a brilliant idea, because
butterflies are so color-ful. And did you know that a group of
butterflies is called a kaleidoscope? The kaleidoscope is a pivotal element in
the story, so it was, in a word—serendipity.
The only thing is that butterflies live very short lives.
The average butterfly typically lives only 3 to 4 weeks. But even that helps to
serve the story. Life is short, use the time to find love and romance quickly!
Back to the topic of choices, I hope the book serves as a springboard for parents to have a conversation with their children about the pursuit of love—its challenges, its hazards, its rewards. Who you love, who you marry or co-habitate with, is a major decision that can deeply affect a human being’s happiness. Choose wisely!
And there is also a feminist component in the story.
Pretty Peach is a character who refuses to be subordinate or subservient to her
partner. An aunt once advised me that you want to be with someone who will
accept you for what you are and who will not try to change the essence of who
you are; both of you can grow together side by side and still respect and honor
each other’s differences. Marriage can homogenize a couple, but it is the
couple’s differences—that give-and-take synergy—that can keep the spice in the
relationship.
So I love that Pretty Peach chooses not to accept
the first proposal offered her. I love that she doesn’t “settle.” And I love
that she had to go through a series of challenges before she reached the
conclusion of her journey.
Part 2 of this interview will be posted next week. More interesting stories up ahead!
Go get your copy of Pretty Peach Today! 🍑✨
Retailing for only P295, Pretty Peach is available at Fully Booked and selected National Bookstore branches.
📍 Special Feature! This February, visit Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street and check out our dedicated Pretty Peach table—the perfect Valentine’s month treat! 💕
Prefer to shop online? Order now through Tahanan’s official website:
🔗 https://tahananbooks.ph/products/pretty-peach
Grab your copy and fall in love with Pretty Peach! 🍑💖
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