Book Review: Little Rhino Lost (Gourlay and Bauza, Otter-Barry, 2025)

 

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DZRH Health Plus Author and Illustrator Interview: Masaya Ang Maging Ako

Here are the interview questions which I answered for DZRH Health Plus. The teleradio show was last November 7, 2021.

1.   Kayo po ay isang guro-katiwala ng aklatan. You practically live in a world full of books. Ito po ba ang dahilan kung bakit kayo nag-umpisang magsulat ng aklat pambata?

2    Yes. Pero nung teenager ako, gusto ko na maging manunulat. Naisip ko noon na may kuwento rin akong pwedeng ibahagi sa iba. At kung na-touch ako or na-inspire ng mga kuwento na binabasa ko, makapagbibigay din ako ng inspiration sa iba. In books, we establish human connections. This connection can be personal as well as communal.

Ano naman po ang naging inspirasyon niyo sa pagsulat ng kwentong Masaya ang Maging Ako?

Inspirasyon ko ang aking anak na babae 😊 at hango sa danas niya ang kuwento ni Tere.

Nang binasa ko po ang kwento, ang batang si Tere po ay aktibo sa klase, sa extra-curriculars. Pero pinagtatawanan po siya ng ilang kaklase niya. matatawag ba nating siyang isang 'Nerd' at maituturing bang form of bullying yung pinagtatawanan siya?

Yes. Kakaiba kase si Tere. Hindi lang siya nerd, isa siyang “queer” child. Ang mga nerds, queer or LGBTQ+, Indigenous groups, disabled and special needs learners ay madalas biktima ng bullying dahil sila ay kakaiba at naiiba. Hindi ito madaling maunawaan kung hindi bukas ang pananaw or world views. Kailangan natin ng impormasyon at mga kuwento na may empathy para maunawan sila at ang pamilya/komunidad na kanilang ginagalawan. Sa MAMA, sinubok naming ni Jamie Bauza na ipakita ang dalawang pananaw na ito subalit, naka-focus kay Tere.

May iba’t-ibang uri ng bullying. 

1. Physical

2. Verbal

3. Cyber

4. Emotional

5. Prejudicial

6. Sexual

 Ang naranasan ni Tere na bullying ay Verbal, Emotional and Prejudicial bullying.

At katulad po ng nangyari sa kwento, hindi po natinag si Tere at patuloy ng ginawa ang ginagawa niya. Ano po ang maipapayo niyo sa mag batang hindi naman katulad ni Tere na aktibo at matapang pero maaring pinagtatawanan din ng mga kalaro o kaklase?

Para sa mga batang hindi katulad ni Tere, ang unang dapat makausap ay ang mga magulang. Kaya may inner strength si Tere ay dahil sa mahal na mahal siya ng kanyang pamilya kahit ano pa man siya. Ang pagkabibo at aktibo niya ay hindi masama sa tahanan na kanyang kinalakhan. Ang pagiging queer niya ay tolerated sa pamilya na kanyang kinabibilangan. Tere loves herself because, she is raised that way. Mahalaga na patuloy din natuto ang mga magulang sa pagpapalaki ng mga anak.

Ganyan din ang masasabi ko sa mga guro na may mga danas ng bullying sa classroom, online man or face to face. Sa pagplano at pag design ng instruction, maaring ma-break ang prejudice, mabigyang boses ang marginalized students at marepresent ang lahat ng mag-aaral. May ibang workshop para dito.

Isang paraan ang storytelling at developmental bibliotherapy na maaring gamitin sa bata na mahina ang loob or may issues ng self confidence / self worth. May pamamaraan ito at strategy. Magsimula sa pagpili ng kuwentong akma para sa bata. Bumuo ng mga tanong na makapagbibigay ng self confidence ayon sa context ng kuwento. Magpagawa ng mga activities na ma-express ng bata ang kanyang galling, mga iniisip at nararamdaman. Integrate ito sa art, music at iba pa.

Napansin ko po ang paggamit ng ilustrasyon para ikwento ang nangyayari kay Tere. Hindi na kailangan pa ang texto. Puede niyo bang ipaliwanag po ito? Ang inyong kolaborasyon sa ilustrador, si Jamie Bauza.

 Ang mga illustardor tulad ni Jamie Bauza ay may angking galling sa pagkukuwento gamit ang visuals, symbols at colors. May tinatawag kaseng visual narrative at dito pumapasok ang husay ng illustrador. Sadyang limitado ang mga salita na ginamit ko upang makapagbigay or makapaglagay si Jamie ng kanyang naratibong Biswal sa kuwento. Kaya naman, ang MAMA ay kuwento ng aking anak na kinwento ko at kuwento rin ito ni Jamie na gumawa ng illustrations. Sa suporta ng Lampara at Room to Read, ang aming kuwento ay kuwento rin ng babasa nito.

So, babalik tayo sa una kong sinabi na personal ang pagbabasa at maari din itong maging communal.

New Book on the Block: Spikeys, Prickles and Prongies

 

When I learned that Ilaw ng Tahanan is launching a new children's book about COVID-19, I got excited. Spikeys, Prickles and Prongies: A Coronavirus Discovery Story is written by Natasha Vizcarra and illustrated by Jamie Bauza -- two women I admire for their body of work and the advocacies they pursue. I know Ms. Vizcarra from way back as editor of the Junior Inquirer while Ms. Bauza illustrated Masaya Ang Maging Ako (Lampara, 2020). 

The Junior Inquirer (JI) has ceased publication for a while now and it is only in the library of the Philippine Daily Inquirer where copies can be retrieved. At the time, around the early 2000s, the JI was a launch pad for aspiring writers, young and old. If you need to see a good model for campus journalism, turn to the JI. There were workshops and training sessions for students on all kinds of writing. It featured texts and materials for students to read which were all written with verve and a sense of wonder. It celebrated the joy and curiosities of children as well as the young at heart. 

At the time, I was working in Xavier School. My students would tell me stories of their trainings and meet ups with the JI staff. How they encouraged and mentored them to write, to speak and to find their voice. Our English teachers who mentored them alongside the JI staff were appreciative of this support from community resources. 

Ms. Vizcarra is now a science writer based in Denver Colorado. She writes about nature and people's interaction with the environment so engagingly well it branch out to real life events, making one think about the connections we have as precious links in the fragile chain of life. I had an interview with Ms. Vizcarra last week wherein I had a glimpse of the meticulous research and fact checking work she and Ilaw ng Tahanan put into the book project. I felt the sincere care and caution these wonder women put into making this book. At the front, back and center is the child reader who will meet the book. 

I was happy and honored to meet once again the editor in chief of the JI I know back in the day. And I think, this is one of the many reasons why we need journalists. They help us make sense of events, big and small, that shape their world in order to understand their role in reshaping and reforming it. 

I look forward to getting my copies of Spikeys, Prickles and Prongies: A Coronavirus Discovery Story!

Author Talk on AHA Learning Center ( 1 of 2)

Our story, Masaya Ang Maging Ako (Gagatiga and Bauza, Lampara Books 2020) will be featured in AHA Learning Center's Eskwelang Pampamilya Live tomorrow, March 8, 2021. After the storytelling, I will be interviewed about the book and my writing process. Here are the guide questions I got from Teacher Chynna.

1. Ano ang matututunan ng mga bata sa kwentong ito? 

What will kids learn from the story?

2. Bakit at paano nabuo ng may akda ang kwentong ito? 

Why and how was the book/story created?

3. Ano ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaroon ng mga kwentong tumatalakay sa pagtanggap, pagkilala, at pagmamahal sa sarili? 

What is the importance of having stories that discuss topics on self, acceptance and self-knowledge?

4. Ano ang pabaon ('pabaon' is what we call your parting message of inspiration or hope to the kids) niyo sa mga ka-AHA na nakikinig at nanonood ngayon? 

What is your "pabaon" to our listeners?

They have #MakwentoMondays and this March, they will feature stories with women empowerment, gender equality, and identity themes in line with the National Women's Month and we will be featuring "Masaya Ang Maging Ako" for our episode next week, March 8, 2021.

Visit the AHA Learning Center's Facebook Page!

Kuwentong Musmos Team Lampara Books Are Now Available!

The printed copy of Masaya Ang Maging Ako (Gagatiga and Bauza, Lampara Books 2019) can now be bought online as well as the four titles of picture books written and illustrated by authors and illustrators who took part in the Kuwentong Musmos Project of Room to Read under Lampara Books.

Limang bagong Children's Books mula sa Lampara Books at Room to Read ang magbibigay ng saya at aral sa ating mga anak.

Samahan nating magbasa at sabayan natin sila sa pagtuklas ng mga bagong kuwento sa patuloy na nagbabagong mundo.

Bisitahin ang ating mga Precious Shop Online Stores para sa malalaking discounts

https://s.lazada.com.ph/s.Ys7wG

https://shopee.ph/preciouspages?smtt=0.0.9

#LamparaBooks #RoomToRead #childrensbooks #raisingreaders #Parenting #ActivityBooks #KidsBooks #RadicalStories #ActivityBooks #KidsBooks

Here are links to blog posts I have written about the Kuwentong Musmos project. It is a book project I am so proud of being a part of.

Start by getting to know the Team Lampara Authors. After reading this, head on to this link for the Team Lampara Illustrators interview compilation. Then, see what happened at the Kuwentong Musmos press launch. I also have a special interview with Jamie Bauza who illustrated Tere so well!

Next year, I look forward to listening to the radio drama version of Masaya Ang Maging Ako which will be produced by Tanghalang Pilipino and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Kuwentong Musmos Interviews: Authors of Team Lampara Books Share Their Room To Read Workshop Experiences

Team Lampara at the press launch of Kuwentong Musmos 

My participation in the Kuwentong Musmos Workshop in Bohol last October is a running post in the blog. A developing story.

I had written about my insights and the wonderful time I had with friends in the children's book industry during the workshop. What followed was an illustrator workshop in Baguio City for artists who were chosen to illustrate our stories. My story, Masaya Maging Ako was given to Jamie Bauza to render and illustrate. Read more about the twenty books published by the four leading publisher of children's books in the country today. The Kuwentong Musmos Book Project is under the auspices of Room to Read in partnership with Adarna House.

And now, here is a round up of the blog interviews with authors of Team Lampara Books.   

Lauren Macaraeg author of Kiko Kitikiti, a book about ADHD

Mark Norman Boquiren author of Ang Batang Papet, a book about juvenile justice and detention

Reina Peralta author of Ang Nanay Kong Drayber, a book about gender roles and equality

Genaro Gojo Cruz author of Ang Alaga Kong Lolo, a book about a compassion and kindness to old people

Up next is the blog round up of the interview with illustrators of Team Lampara Books.

The Picture Book as an Art Form

During the press launch of Room to Read's Kuwentong Musmos at the Museo Pambata, someone from DepEd raised a concern regarding "unrealistic" drawings in children's books and if this is appropriate for children. The host of the launch, Robert Alejandro, called on Liza Flores to answer the question. 

I remember Liza saying that she keeps in mind the audience she is illustrating for, in this case, the children who will read the books. It is innate in children to imagine, to play and to wonder. Unrealistic drawings are therefore allowed in children's books. 

A few days after, on Facebook -- because everyone involved in the project was still in cloud nine, Liza replied to Joanna Nicolas-Na's photo of her where she was replying to Madame DepEd's question.  This was her reply:

May mga akda na mahalaga maging acurate at realistic ang pag guhit. Pero hindi mali ang hindi realistic na drawing. May mga kuwento na binabagayan ng ibang estilo. Minsan mas epektibo nitong naikukuwento ang kuwento. Mahalaga din ma-expose ang mga bata sa iba't ibang klaseng guhit o art. This is how they discover what they like and don't like, and develop their own taste.  

There are works that need accurate and realistic drawings and interpretations. But it is not wrong to make unrealistic drawings. There are stories that need to be drawn and rendered using a style of art that is different from the conventional. Most often, this is more effective in the visual storytelling or narrative flow. It is also important for children to be exposed to different art forms (through books).  This is how they discover what they like and don't like, and develop their own taste.  

Many replied to her. It made for an interesting discussion. 

This is my take. A picture book is an art form. As a form of art, it follows a function. The purpose of a picture book is for children to enjoy it. For aesthetics. For beauty. For all that is good in this world. For a child who cannot visit a museum or an art gallery, the picture book is an art experience. And sometimes, a picture book can be more than a gallery or a room full of paintings. As Eric Ode said in his essay, Why Picture Books Are Important "Picture book illustration styles run the gamut, representing as much diversity as the art found in any national gallery or museum. But whether elaborately detailed and richly colored or spare with a bare-bones pallet, a picture book’s illustrations want to be explored and enjoyed up-close and with others. They are waiting to be pored over, puzzled over, and pointed at, page turn by page turn."

So, as an author, I like it that Tere, our character in Masaya Maging Ako has yellow skin. It is the happy kind of yellow, like sunlight in the early morning. I do not mind at all if her limbs and legs are long and curving. She loves movement and the long and curved lines suggest grace. I love the purplish mauve color of our book's cover because this implies power and daring. Tere is a kid who was bullied. It was the quiet and sneaky kind of verbal bullying. Jamie Bauza's illustrations explicitly showed that aspect of bullying through size, shape and color. Furthermore, she allowed Tere to shine in her own unique way.

See what unrealistic drawings can do?

Now, I wonder what kids will say or how kids will respond to our book. That is another story!

Illustrator of the Month: Jamie Bauza

I am so happy that Jamie Bauza, illustrator of Masaya Maging Ako, is the blog’s featured illustrator of the month. I am honored that Lampara Books picked her to interpret my manuscript. Jamie is unafraid in her use of colors. Her lines and spacing are neat and clean. She was able to breathe life to Tere, our main character, who is funny, spunky, kind, ”galawgaw” and leans on the queer side.  I cried when I first saw the studies.

I have mentioned Jamie's name in previous posts on the Kuwentong Musmos Workshop and the Room to Read book project. Now it is time to hear from her! 

1. What is your creative process for Masaya Maging Ako?

After reading the manuscript, I worked on some sketches of the character, in different situations. I wanted to get to know her, see what she was like, and imagine her in different situations. Once I felt like I had a good grasp of the character, I made thumbnails (or small sketches) of the different pages in the book. After consulting with our workshop mentors, there were some changes to the initial manuscript / flow. We tweaked it a bit to make it feel more organic. Once all the sketches and artwork samples were approved, I had two weeks to render the final artwork. Finally, I scanned the illustrations (which were done with colored pencils) for cleaning/retouching on the computer. It was a really, really tight deadline, and that was certainly challenging, but I'm really happy with how the book turned out.

2. What is the picture book/children’s book you wish you had created or illustrated?

I really love Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson. It's so simple and beautiful, and so creative! I wish I had a magic crayon too.

I am also a really big fan of Oliver Jeffers, and I love all his books!

3. What are your 5 tips for aspiring illustrators?

- Practice, practice, practice!

- Let your illustrations tell a story.

- Don't worry about "style" -- that will develop organically. Instead, focus on what you want to say.

- Don't compare yourself to other (maybe more successful) illustrators. It's not a race! Everyone is on their own path.

- Stretch! Take breaks! Go outside! If you want to have a successful career, you have to take care of your health.

4. Recommend 5 books for young artists or anyone who wishes to break out into picture book illustration.

Children's Picturebooks by Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles

Ways of Telling by Leonard S. Marcus

Picture This by Molly Bang

How to be an Illustrator by Darrel Rees

Duck, Death, and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch

My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano and Jillian Tamaki

5. What part in Masaya Maging Ako did you enjoy drawing the most or proved challenging to draw?

I really enjoyed drawing Tere in different dance poses! I love drawing movement and silliness, and I used myself as a reference for the different positions (haha).

Most challenging was the part where Tere was being bullied, and she was asking herself why. I wanted to show that she was sad/doubtful, but not in a cliche way.

Visit Jaime’s website at https://jamiebauza.com

Brochure of Room to Read Book Project

The news that our book, Masaya Maging Ako (Gagatiga and Bauza, Lampara Books) is included in this brochure and will soon be out for publication surprised me like a thunderstorm. On this day when typhoon Kammuri passed through CALABARZON, the Philippine Children’s Book Industry has something to smile about. And that is on top of all the gold medals that the FIlipino athletes are raking in the 2019 SEA Games. 

Masaya Maging Ako, illustrated by Jamie Bauza and published by Lampara Books. Created during the Room to Read (RTR) workshop for writers and illustrators in Bohol and Baguio, I have always dreamed of writing a story for my daughter, Zoe. And I did during the Room to Read Workshop in Bohol So, I dedicate this book to her, and to victims of mean cliques and bullies, kids, teenagers and adults alike. Remember that there is a place where the cliques and the bullies cannot touch you. You are never alone. You have companions. You have allies.

In time, those cliques and those bullies will get what they deserve. But for now, know that you are loved. You are beautiful in your own unique way. You are enough. You can make a difference!