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.

CNN PH Interview: Masaya Ang Maging Ako

 

A year ago, at the press launch of Mga Kuwentong Musmos where I was interviewed by CNN Philippines on our book, Masaya Ang Maging Ako (Gagatiga & Bauza, Lampara Books 2020). Our book is part of the 20 titles published by the international NGO, Room to Read and Lampara Books (along with three Philippine publishers). Adarna House and Room to Read has been working with the DepEd and LGUs to bring our books to communities where there are very few reading materials, or none at all. It was one of the many stories that inspired readers, content creators and industry leaders last year as the pandemic raged on.

 

 

We continue to create, to survive and to hang on to hope for better days to come.

Kuwentong Musmos Books Goes to Mindanao

Yesterday, I joined a webinar led by Mr. Al Santos on the wonder and usefulness of picture books. The context being that Room to Read and the five publishers that worked together in rolling out the 20 Kuwentong Musmos books have successfully partenred with Tanghalang Pilipino and the Department of Education in bringing copies of the books to the Bangsa Moro Region. The webinar was attended by DepEd teachers and school leaders. 

I posted on Instagram the link to the audio drama versions of the Kuwentong Musmos books. The ebook versions can be read online or streamed via literacycloud.org. But of course, getting a print copy will really help the book industry at this time of the pandemic.

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)

Kuwentong Musmos Author Interview: Liwliwa Malabed

Here is the blog interview of Ms.Liwliwa Malabed, author of Sampung Eroplano (2019) and illustrated by Pergylene Acuna. Sampung Eroplano is one of the twenty books that Adarna House published under the Kuwentong Musmos Project of Room to Read.

Bakit ka nagsusulat para sa mga bata/kabtaan?

Nagsusulat ako para sa aking sarili, para sa anak ko at mga pamangkin, para sa aking mga estudyante, para sa   mga batang Pilipino. May mga aklat na habang binabasa ko ay pakiramdam ko, sinulat ito para sa akin.                Dahil sa mga aklat na ito, nakilala ko ang aking sarili at lumawak ang aking mundo. Gusto kong maramdaman    din iyon ng batang magbabasa sa aking sinulat.

 Paano ka nagsimula sa pagsusulat ng mga kuwentong pambata? Ano ang iyong origin story?

 May Children’s Literature class ako noong undergrad at mula noon nagsimula akong mangolekta ng mga children’s books. Sumali rin ako sa patimpalak ng isang magazine at isa sa mga nanalo ang aking kuwento. Ang kuwentong iyon ang ipinasa kong sample writing para makapagtrabaho sa isang children’s show. Miyembro din ako ng samahan ng mga manunulat ng panitikang pambata, ang KUTING o Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting.

Magbigay ng tatlong salita upang mailarawan ang karanasan mo bilang isang fellow ng Kuwentong Musmos Workshop?

 Itapon sa kanan.

 Isa sa mga pinakamahirap na gawain sa palihan ay ang 100 word count. Noong nagtutulungan ang mga fellows kung paano gawin ito, naging biruan namin ang “itapon sa kanan!”

 Personally, dahil nagsulat ako ng scripts para sa telebisyon, ang naging atake ko dito ay i-retain ang mga dialogues tapos ITAPON SA KANAN yung iba.  Yung format kasi ay parang sa script din, may 2 columns, isa para sa TEXT at isa para sa VISUAL NARRATIVE (sa script ay AUDIO-VIDEO ang format).  So yung kanan ay visual narrative, yung paglalarawan ko sa mga tauhan, lugar at pangyayari at ang mag-execute nito ay ang artist/illustrator. Para sa akin, ang tatlong salita na ito-- ITAPON SA KANAN ay nangangahulugan din na bumitaw at magtiwala sa husay ng ilustrador na buhayin ang mga salita at ikuwento ito gamit ang kanyang sining.

 

Sa Sampung Eroplano, talagang bumitaw ako dahil wordless book ito. Kahit hindi ko pa kilala kung sino ang gagawa ng illustrations,  buo ang tiwala ko sa kanya, sa editors at sa Adarna. Natuwa ako nung nalaman ko na si Pergy ang artist. Sabik akong makitang mabuo ang kuwento dahil nasa kanya yung kalahati.

 Anong aklat ang sana ay ikaw ang nagsulat?

 Kaydami kong nabasa na napapaisip ako “Sana, sana ako yung nagsulat.” Kung pipili lang ako ng isa, ito ang MAGNIFICENT BENITO AND HIS TWO FRONT TEETH nina Augie Rivera, Mike Rivera at Jason Moss, inilimbag ng Adarna House. Kumpleto ito sa sangkap: may trahedya, may problema, may nakakatawa, may kendi, may pambihira at may solusyon na nakaugat sa kakayahan ng tauhan.

 Magbigay ng 5 tips o payo para sa mga gustong magsulat ng kuwentong pambata.

 Magbasa, magmasid, palayain ang haraya, magsulat, magrevise! :)

For as long as she can remember, Liwliwa Malabed has been telling stories—her  classmates crowding around her as she drew stick figures to accompany her imagination gone awry. She started writing them down after college, with a wealth of children’s  storybooks for inspiration. Her first story, Anya and Her Tears, won in MMPI  Dreamweaver’s Contest for original bedtime story and illustration (published in Family  Reader Magazine). The same story got her a job as a staff writer for Eskwela ng Bayan, a  curriculum-based children’s show. 

She received awards for her books and stories including a National Book Award for 100  Questions Filipino Children Ask (with Emylou Infante), PBBY Honorable Mention for  Gusto Ko Nang Lumaki!, Lampara Prize Honorable Mention for The Girl Who Always  Looked At People’s Shoes and Second Prize Samsung Kids Time Authors’ Awards for  Apuy’s Fury. She has written 15 books for children. She also wrote scripts for Sirit!,  Jollitown, Probe Production’s travelogue Cheche Lazaro Presents and ABS-CBN’S The  Filipino Channel. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in European Languages and her  Master’s Degree in Teaching in the Early Grades from the University of the Philippines,  Diliman. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. 

  

Kuwentong Musmos Illustrator Interview: Lui Buan

Lui Buan, the illustrator of Ang Alaga Kong Lolo (Gojo Cruz, Lampara Books 2019) shares with us his creative process and recommends books for aspiring artists. 

1. What is your creative process for Ang Alaga Kong Lolo?
 
The pre-production happened during the Room to Read workshop held in Baguio City last October. While reading the manuscript, I also had to get the “feel” of the story. Simultaneously, I was imagining how the characters would look like and their milieu.

For Ang Alaga Kong Lolo, I imagined the two main characters as subtly mirroring each other, not just with their “movements”, but also how they looked. 

For example, if Lolo wears a striped blue top - the child also wears a blue top. In the last pages, however, I did the reverse. That somehow adds an element of juxtaposition. For the location, I opted for a setting that is laid back yet is in proximity to the metropolis (because the child’s mother works in an office). So what came to my mind was Antipolo. It has the perfect setting for its greens and its uneven terrains are visually interesting. It also has a view of city skylines.

Once the characters were approved by the workshop mentors, I proceeded with sketching the storyboard - integrating both the characters and the story. The rendering and coloring for the illustrations happened after the workshop. Time is one of the challenges as we only had a month or so to illustrate the entire book (and the schedule overlapped with my graduate school finals, which made it even more challenging).

The pages were sent to the mentors for approval, and then forwarded to the book designer, Alen Mangabat for the book layout and the text. The challenge was all worth it, especially when I saw the printed colored sample.

 2. What is the picture book/children’s book you wish you had created or illustrated?I like Pergy Acuña’s “Sampung Eroplano” because the concept is cute,  and I want to try illustrating counting books. I also like Ivan Reverente’s “Ang Kuya Kong Zombie” because I am fond of playing computer games (during my freetime). :)

3.  What are your 5 tips for aspiring illustrators?
 First, hone your craft by drawing a lot. Second, get to know yourself well enough to know what your weaknesses and strengths are, and work on them. Then, believe in yourself more than anyone else; do not compare yourself to others. Lastly, keep on drawing!

4. What are your 5 recommended books for young artists or anyone who wishes to break out into picture book illustration.
 -Children’s Picture Book by Martin Salisbury has chapters on western children’s book history, character development and even storyboarding techniques! I think this book is a must-read.

-Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair - This is not about picture books, but if you have a cartoony style, it has chapters about character constructions and even character acting that you may want to apply to your illustrations!

-The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams - Another book that’s not about children’s books specifically, but, you might want to look at some chapters on character acting, body language, and other animation principles that can be useful, especially if you have a more cartoony style. :)

-Show Your Work by Austin Kleon - I think it is a good book for artists of all ages, in the age of social media. The book is really about how to show your work.

-Ang Alaga Kong Lolo by Genaro Gojo Cruz and Lui Buan -  It will be available soon, so get a copy! :)

 5. What part in Ang Alaga Kong Lolo did you enjoy drawing the most or proved challenging to draw?

I really enjoyed drawing the characters so much, as well as the backgrounds. What I think was the most challenging part was showing the connection between the two main characters.

 

Kuwentong Musmos Illustrator Interview: Pepot Zamora Atienza

Here is Pepot Zamora Atienza's interview on his adventures and experience in Baguio during the Illustrator's Workshop for Room to Read's Kuwentong Musmos book project. Pepot's colorful renditions of Reina Peralta's Ang Nanay Kong Drayber  (Lampara Books, 2019) makes the book a visual feast for the eyes. Read on!

What is your creative process for 'Ang Nanay kong Driver'?

I originally thought of creating dioramas for this book project pero eventually mas sinemplehan ko nalang since kalaban po ay oras. So what I did is flat-lay clay illustration with a bit of help of computer graphics. I created the characters and all the other elements using modelling clay. I photographed them one by one and lay it out in photoshop. I really liked the spectrum of colors and the soft texture of modelling clays. It has this appeal that kids would enjoy to look at.

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

Well to be honest, sobrang natuwa na ako sa 'Ang Nanay kong Driver' hindi ko na naimagine na ibang story ang gagawin ko. Magaganda ang lahat ng story. I just believe na sakto sa art style ko yung ginawa ko for the story ng 'Ang Nanay kong Driver'.

3.  What are your 5 tips for aspiring illustrators?

1) Trust the creative process. I learned a lot from the workshops of RtR (Room to Read) and it was an eye-opener for me as an illustrator na may tamang proseso pala sa pagawa ng libro. The proccess may be tedious, from doing thumbnails to the final art. Follow these kasi it'll make sure na you are on track to creating a great children's book.

2) Always inspire yourself by looking at critically-acclaimed children's books and observe carefully what makes the book really good.

3) Read the story you are going to illustrate at least 50 times. Dapat sobrang familliar ka dun sa gustong iparating ng writer, reading it for only a few times baka mamisinterpret mo yung story. Then from there pag nakuha mo na yung message ng author, add your own take to the story using your illustrations. Basta important na nandun pa rin essence at intention sa story ng writer.

4) Ask other people's opinions. Let them constructively criticize your work. Masaya rin na may makita kang perspective ng iba kasi mas magkakaron ng dimension ang isang idea.

5) Enjoy the process. Be creative, imaginative and always do your best. Pag hindi ka nag-enjoy, it can reflect sa work mo or worse you'll end up with "what ifs" pag hindi mo ginawa yung best mo. 

4. What are your 5 recommended books for young artists or anyone who wishes to break out into picture book illustration.

Siguro childrens illustrators nalang ang irerecommend ko. Advice ko na obserbahan ang books and other works nila kasi sobrang consistent sa art style and super galing. Robert Alejandro, Beth Parocha, Sergio Bumatay, Liza Flores, Aldy Aguirre, pero actually halos lahat sa Ang InK magagaling. I love them all!

 5. What part in 'Ang Nanay kong Driver' did you enjoy drawing the most or proved challenging to draw?

I really loved the palengke scene. Sobrang challenging kasi i have to illustrate a lot of people plus kung ano binebenta nila or ginagagwa nila. Ang mga prutas, gulay, isda, karne, ang mga basket, bilao ay tinyaga kong gawin isa-isa Ang saya-saya nung matapos ko kasi sobrang makulay, ramdam ko yung pagiging busy ng palengke. Tsaka kuha na rin yung essense nung story sa spread na ito, about gender roles.

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

Masaya Maging Ako! Masaya Maging Tayo!

Finally! 

Na-launch na rin ang Masaya Maging Ako, ang aming aklat pambata ni Jamie Bauza. Ito ay binuo, nilikha at ginawang espesyal na handog para sa mga bata na walang aklatan at salat sa babasahing akma sa kanilang kultura at konteksto. Kasama namin sa proseso ng paglikha ng aklat ang mga bumubuo sa komunidad ng Panitikang Pambata ng Pilipinas. Mula sa Ang Illustrador ng Kabataan, kasama ang apat na publishers ng mga aklat pambata, Adarna House, Lampara Books, Hiyas-OMF at Anvil Publishing hangang sa staff ng Room to Read, nagsanib puwersa ang lahat upang makapaglimbag ng 20 aklat sa ilalim ng Kuwentong Musmos Book Project ng Room to Read. Ang paglulunsad ay ginanap sa Museo Pambata noong Huwebes, February 27, 2020.

Congratulations sa lahat! 

It was a joyous occasion to witness the culmination of four months of hard work and genuine camaraderie among Filipino authors, illustrators, publishers, Adarna House staff and Room to Read. Kudos to Sir Al Santos of Room to Read for leading the project, to Liza Flores and Robert Alejandro for the mentorship, to my publisher, Jun Matias of Lampara Books. I appreciated working with Team Lampara in Bohol and with Jamie and Aiko over chat and phone call from Baguio. We have created and published a book, but there is a community who helped make it a dream come true!

How true is the quote I heard from a friend in PBBY, ”a book is a dream, dreamed by a team”. To have experienced this dream making and team building is something I will be grateful for the rest of my life. 

Masaya Maging Ako! Masaya Maging Tayo!