PBBY's New Representative for Illustrators is Ms. Liza Flores

Last July 18, 2023, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People sworn in Ms. Liza Flores as board member and representative for the sector of illustrators. She has once again, lent her time for the blog and its readers for this interview.

1. As PBBY Rep for Illustrators, what can you bring to the table that will further enhance the growth of children’s book illustration in the country?

Ang INK is what I bring to the table, along with the learnings from Ang INK’s founding members, and the experience of working with INKies of different generations.

As PBBY Rep, I hope to do more of what I have been doing with Ang INK, but with a wider reach, and closer collaboration with other sectors in the industry:

• showcase the works of illustrators 

• uplift the quality of illustrations for children

• articulate and protect the rights of illustrators

• define and promote professionalism among illustrators

2. How would you describe ANG INK in this era of AI, climate change, multiverse storylines and metacognition?

While primarily known as illustrators for children, Ang INK has claimed a place as an organization of illustrators in general. 

Ang INK therefore, has the responsibility and opportunity to address issues that affect young people (like climate change), and new technologies that have an impact on illustrators (like AI).

But this is nothing new to Ang INK. 

Through its exhibitions, books, and other projects, Ang INK has always focused on the various aspects of Filipino life, while promoting certain advocacies that are significant to the Filipino child. We have tackled matters concerning children’s rights, the pandemic, environmental conservation and protection, the promotion of literacy, awareness of and appreciation for Philippine culture, and so on.

The issues and the environment today may have changed—perhaps more challenging—but Ang INK’s charge is the same.

3. What are your top 5 book recommendations to readers of children’s books?

Sayaw ng mga Kamaymag Kamay, Joanna Que at Fran Alvarez / Dancing Hands, Charina Marquez (English translation)

Papuntang Community Pantry, Eugene Evasco at lAdy Aguirre

Pagkatapos ng Unos, Harry Monzon 

Mang Andoy’s Signs, Mailin Paterno and Isabel Roxas

Hati Tayo!, Russell Molina at Dominic Agsaway 

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!

Dear Nanay: How It Came To Be

An article about my creative process in writing Dear Nanay (Gagatiga and Flores, Lampara House, 2013). This article will appear in MirrorsWindowsDoors this month since the website features the Philippines, Philippine diaspora and the Overseas Filipino Worker in Philippine Children's Literature.

Dear Nanay: How It Came To Be

By Zarah C. Gagatiga, on her experience, reflections and creative process writing an OFW story for children.

I was born in Manila in 1974. Two years after the declaration of Martial Law. I grew up an only child until I was twelve years old. Our household was small but my aunts and uncles on both sides of the family lived next door so cousins flitted in and out of the family compound. Nanay* Leony, my maternal grandmother, ran a sari-sari* store that sold everything from safety pins to San Miguel Pale Pilsen. There were also Tagalog comics for rent. I read them after school as part of my recreatory reading list. We had a garden abloom with flowers all year round because Nanay Leony knew what to plant during the dry and the rainy seasons. Her vegetable garden produced root crops, tubers, herbs and spices, and greens that often ended up in a dish on our dinner table. Trees grew in the backyard: coconut, mango, banana, palm, santol,* tamarind, camias* star apple, atis,* to mention a few. 

Everyone knew everybody in the neighbourhood. I played with my cousins and the neighbourhood kids. I walked with them to school. We heard mass on Sundays. On lazy summer days, my cousins and I would take naps in the afternoon. We would wake up to late noon snacks of ginataan,* turon,*porridge, kamote* fries or biko* , especially cooked by our favourite aunts. There were stories and songs to share until it was time to watch Voltes V and Mazinger Z. We were heartbroken when these TV shows were cancelled. We were too young to understand what it meant.

When the rains came, we bathed. When big storms brought in the flood, we waited until the water receded. The nearby creek would swell and this gave us a  reason to launch our homemade paper boats. Water leaked in easily in the paper boats, so we would either swim or catch fish next. We got lucky on some days to bring home Gourami and tilapia. No one dared bring home tadpoles since none of us wished to bear the brunt of our grandmother's wrath. Fishes were alright. Frogs, not so.

I could say I had a happy childhood. My world was safe and secure from the violence and horrors of Martial Law. My parents and the adults in my family tried their best to keep life simple yet abundant with laughter, songs, stories and playtime. They surrounded us with the basics, enough space to move about and the freedom to express oneself, though, controlled at times. But unexpected events in life, big or small, can throw anyone off balance.

Liza Flores' study for Dear Nanay

The Philippine economy collapsed at the onset of the 80s and this prompted my grandfather to work in Saudi Arabia after an early retirement from the Philippine Navy. A year after, my father, who was at the time an esteemed public school teacher, followed suit. My grandfather and my father became Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).

I wasn't spared from the effects and repercussions of Martial Law at all. At nine years old, I accepted my mother's explanation of the situation. Papa will bring home dollars. Savings for a better future. Never mind the long years apart. Sacrifice today for a better tomorrow. Nanay Leony who was pragmatic and practical, a survivor of World War II, took it all in her stride. But I got a sense of their longing and loneliness. There were nights when my mother cried herself to sleep and Nanay Leony kept singing sad Bicolano songs. It was a confusing time. The Sanrio toys, dolls and cool gadgets from Saudi Arabia did little to justify the empty chairs at the dinner table, especially on birthdays and during Christmas. After two years working abroad, my father decided to go come back home for good. This filled me with joy, but it took me a while to reconnect with my father.

It is this experience of growing up with an OFW parent that is the backdrop of Dear Nanay (Lampara House, 2013). But it was my trip to Singapore in 2002 that was the lynchpin for the poem that became a narrative in verse and eventually, a picture book for children.

My attendance at the 2nd Storytelling Congress in Singapore that year allowed me to meet and interact with Filipinos working away from home and their families. There were professionals working in the IT industry and the Library and Information Science sector. I met teachers and professors, domestic helpers and labourers. I was even mistaken for a household help by the immigration staff when my host from the National Book Development Board of Singapore bade me a tearful farewell at the airport. The immigration staff asked if she was my boss and I, her domestic helper. I said no, she is my friend. The immigration staff gave me a warm knowing smile. I told her the truth, of course, but I knew she had a different context to my answer.

Liza Flores' narrative layering included Nanay's job not mentioned in the original poem.

In the airplane, the economy class was filled with Filipino men and women all noisy and eager to get home. They all carried bags and boxes of pasalubongs*. Many spoke in Tagalog but there were a few chattering in Bisaya and Ilocano. While many of the passengers slept and some quietly talked to each other, I wrote a poem in my notebook about a child missing her OFW mother. A week in Singapore had made me homesick. I missed my husband and two kids terribly and wished they could have joined me on the trip. It was that moment I recalled my own childhood growing up during the last stretch of the Martial Law years. I remembered my father and grandfather, my mother and Nanay Leony and what they had all sacrificed. I was in awe of the courage of the Filipino overseas worker, but saddened by the reality that one of the many reasons why they leave home is  due to the economic and cultural problems caused by twenty years of dictatorship.

Dear Nanay is illustrated by the amazing Liza Flores. Using paper cutouts as her medium, she added visual layers to the story by depicting spreads that show gaps and distance, longing and loneliness, through empty rooms, calendars and time pieces. I did not reveal nor mention Nanay's profession in the narrative verse, but I particularly liked Liza's take on her as a chef. Not all OFWs are domestic helpers. Nonetheless, our book shows the reality children face in light of a parent leaving home to work abroad.

One of my favorite illustrations in the book.

I still grapple with the question of what is more important for a parent to do: to provide for his or her children’s needs by working abroad or to stay with the family and endure the economic and political hardships, as well as the social injustices of living in a developing country like the Philippines. I console myself with the thought that, despite this reality, there are still opportunities for Filipino writers and illustrators to tell stories and that there are people in the Philippine book industry brave enough to create and publish stories for children depicting the plight of the Overseas Filipino Worker.

Glossary
atis - sweet sop, custard apple 
biko - rice cake 
camias - tree cucumber
ginataan - food cooked with coconut milk, like porridge or sweetened stew of tropical fruits, sticky rice and gluten
kamote - sweet potato
nanay - mother
pasalubong - homecoming treat
santol - wild mangosteen
sari-sari store - convenience store
turon - banana fritter

Alternative Class Days: Paper Art/Paper Sculptures Day 1

Earlier today we had the amazing Liza Flores as our workshop facilitator in one of our Alternative Class Days workshops, Paper Art and Paper Sculptures. She gave a short talk on her art, how she got interested with paper as a medium for her art and showed everyone samples of her works. From visual arts to advertising, Liza Flores has grown tremendously as an artist. What she set out to do illustrating books using paper cutouts and paper art has transformed into paper sculptures used in advertising, installation art and set backgrounds for arts and culture shows.

What truly impressed me about Liza Flores is her love for her art. Her work ethic is admirable. One can be talented and skilled at his or her chosen art or profession, but, it is another thing to show a sincere passion to work with others and to share one's knowledge. I hope that her brand of professionalism rubs off on our high school students who, they may admit this or not, are looking for adult role models to look up to and emulate.

I am still on cloud nine as I write this. Our students made wonderful paper art today. Even our teachers joined in the fun and had their creative juices running!

Here is the art project, which Liza demonstrated to our students.

Begin with the basic: a tree

Add leaves. Be brave to use different kinds of paper!

Experiment. Move the paper around until you get it right.

Liza Flores and I collaborated on a children's picture book, Dear Nanay, which was published in 2014 by Lampara. Read her interview in the blog: Filipino Illustrator Interview: Liza Flores. 

Rainbows and Paper Bags: Take Aways from the Likha-Pambata Workshop 2016

Our tarp at the workshop venue

Three wonderful things happened during the 4th Likha-Pambata Writing and Illustrating Workshop: 1) there were participants who were able to write a story map/outline; 2) there were participants who developed characters by drawing on paper bags; 3) there were participants who were able to do both by using the character from their story outline. Needless to say, the workshop that I ran with Ruben "Totet" de Jesus had been fun and deeply engaging. I felt inspired myself. I now resolve to finish all book projects I have with my publisher.

YAY! (fingers crossed)

How we went about the activities

The workshop program was in two parts. Being the author who facilitated the writing component of the workshop, I had an input session on my writing life, my writing process and where I get stories to write. Afterwards, participants were given story prompts to come up with story maps and outlines. I used the photo of a rainbow to establish context and focused on questions that lead to character development. In fifteen minutes, participants were able to write! This is only a pre-writing exercise but the output for the day is something they can file in a writing portfolio. This way, ideas and story development techniques are documented and can be tracked down.

Raquel V. Endoso's character is a fearful lion.

When Totet took on the second part of the workshop, the participants couldn't help but be amazed at the spot drawing demonstration. Basic shapes, lines and curves, geometric shapes and points can be used to create a character with emotions and personality. His input in our collaborative work was, I think, is the more interesting topic in the workshop.

Indeed, book development and publishing takes time. It is not easy and it can be messy too. But, if the heart is into this kind of creative endeavor, then, being a part of this industry is worth it. The returns are numerous and the gains are satisfying. Though, I can't claim that authors and artists like Totet and myself will be millionaires in the level of JK Rowling.

The Writer and the Illustrator Collaboration

During the Q&A, I was asked who is the illustrator I wish to collaborate with in the future. I wish to work with Robert Magnuson however, he seemed to be very, elusive.

This question made me think of the reasons I keep in choosing artists to work with. Since my stories are very personal, so is my choice for the book's illustrator. I admire the loving ways of Jomike Tejido towards his daughter. Having met his wife in a school visit, I sense this deep bond between them. He was my first choice for My Daddy, My One and Only. Thank God, Jomike said yes to the project considering how busy he was (and is)!

Raquel's fearful lion! Scaredy cat!

Bernadette Solina Wolf was also my first choice for A Tale of Two Dreams since she has a first hand experience of living in Mindoro. Besides, she knows a good number of Mangyans in the island. The Chocolate Kiss is one of my favorite restaurants. The restaurant is a business managed by Liza Flores' family. I have seen and met her sister there and her mother too. How closely knit she seems to be with her sister and mother. My gut feel told me she would do justice to Dear Nanay. When I saw her studies during the production stage of the book, my separation anxiety surfaced. It was exactly the emotion I want to visually appear in the book.

Totet is a friend and an ally in the advocacy for quality books and children's literature in the Philippines. He is funny, reflective, compassionate and responsible. I know he has sisters. For sure, a guy to be sensitive and perceptive, must have grown up among loving and "annoying" sisters. His work in Big Sister is splendid! In my mind, I hope to work further on with Totet in a workshop where participants can truly create books. It is going to be longer for sure, say two to three days? I don't even know if Totet will agree to the idea.

For now, I hope to keep in touch with the participants via social media. There is a writing and illustrating fellowship that is being talked about among the management team of Lampara Books. It would be my pleasure to be a mentor in this fellowship.

Caption this: ___________________________________

 
Thank you very much to Jun Matias of Lampara Books for the patience, his trust and confidence in me to push for the book projects that would matter to children and uplift writers and artists in the industry. All the best to Carlos Manalansan and Aiko Buduan-Salazar! May your hard work pay off a hundred fold. On to the next book project, my dears!

Backstories of Dear Nanay and My Daddy! My One and Only!

Because it is Mother's Day, and Father's Day is next month, I am sharing this short interview of Iyra Buenrostro, from two years ago, about my writing life. Though brief, you'll get a glimpse of where I get inspiration in writing stories.

Ano po yung inspiration ninyo for writing your books?  (What is your inspiration for writing your books?)

My inspiration to write is my family, primarily, my kids. My Daddy! My One and Only! is the story of my son and husband. 

Dear Nanay is a personal story of mine. My father worked abroad in the early 80s. Nangulila ako sa tatay ng dalawang taon. Nung 2002, na-inspire ako magsulat ng tula tungkol sa isang anak na namimiss ang nanay nya na Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). Naisulat ko ang kwento pauwi from Singapore. Galing akong congress noon on storytelling. Ang daming OFW na Pinay sa plane puro pasalubong ang dala!

Do you have a specific advocacy as regards Philippine children's literature? 

Produce quality books; fair royalties and professional fees to writers. Mas malaki palagi sa publisher ang share.

Dear Nanay is illustrated by Liza Flowers. My Daddy! My One and Only! is illustrated by Jomike Tejido. Both books are published by Lampara Books.

The 36th MIBF Moments and Highlights

Photo with Luis Gatmaitan MD has become an MIBF tradition.

We came. We bought books. We had fun!

That is what book fairs are all about. There were good discounts on books in the Anvil and National Bookstore booths. For my library purchases, I had 20% off from Adarna House and Anvil Publishing. Even my books at the Lampara House booth were at a discounted price. Apart from this, the MIBF was a time to touch base with friends in the industry.

Augie Rivera's Alamat ng Ampalaya turns 20 this year and its bitter taste is as strong as ever. He also has a Martial Law story book, Isang Harding Papel, sold during the fair. Your library must definitely acquire it! Mailin Paterno and Ompong Remigio are both back from a long hiatus. Paterno's Mang Andoy's Signs is creating quite a stir from writer friends, earning good reviews from peers and friends in Philippine Children's Literature. Remigio's Bruhaha-Bruhihi is still a best seller after all these years. Meeting her in person was for me, a moment indeed! She was bold and large! As bold and as large as the stories she has written. I have told Bruhaha-Bruhihi many times in read aloud sessions and storytelling time and once, I put up a shadow puppet play of the book to preschoolers. Her stories are a lot of fun!

Bagay na bagay itong planner na ito sa akin!

I also managed to snag Tahanan's Chorva Planner. Rhandee Garlitos' finger prints are all over! These are perfect Christmas give-aways to friends and colleagues at work. How could you go wrong with your plans for the week with the opening Araw-arawin ang Ariba!? And you end your week with this: Rarampa na lola moh! Gay lingo may be an invention to hide meaning at the same time, assert gay pride, but its witty and humorous play on language makes it accessible to everyone.

My books, excluding the 12 stories in the STARS Kinder package

My comic book and graphic novel purchases included Russel Molina's and Ian Sta. Maria's Sixty Six and Piko, an anthology by enthusiastic and prolific comic book creators in the country today headed by Manix Abrera. Sixty Six is amazing! When is part two coming out?! Speaking of sequels, I am excited to read the next adventures of Momoy Lulumboy and Janus Silang. Soon. Very soon!

Lastly, I had my moment as an author in the MIBF when two of our books, My Daddy! My One and Only (Jomike Tejido, illustrator) and Dear Nanay (Liza Flores, illustrator) were sold out! The sales team of Lampara had to collect copies from nearby branches of Precious Pages Bookstore outside SMX to replenish. On Saturday, I was signing for Tale of Two Dreams (Bernadette Solina Wolf, illustrator) and Big Sister, our new book with Ruben "Totet" De Jesus as illustrator. It was a great experience collaborating with these talented artists of Ang INK!

This inspires me to write! More!

Book Launching at the 2014 MIBF

Visit the Lampara Books booth on September 20 and 21, 2014. My books will be launched at the 2014 MIBF.

Start Right Reading Series Kindergarten Level: 12 picture books for the Kindergarten reader.
Illustrated by Bernadette Solina Wolf

Only ten books in the photo but, trust me, there are twelve books in the series!

Dear Nanay
Liza Flores' cut outs and paper sculpture art are awesome!

Book Signing & Talks at the MIBF 2014

Last year, around the same month, I posted a photo of Liza Flores' study of our book, Dear Nanay ,

In January 2014, our book was published by Lampara Books. This coming MIBF 2014, I'll be at the Lampara booth to sign copies of Dear Nanay on September 20 and 21. 

I hope to see you there!

I will also conduct a writing workshop for grade school students on September 21, 2014. I will post details before this week ends. Hang on!

Another event that I'm excited to participate in during the MIBF is the Klasrum Adarna Workshop for Book Creators. I will be presenting grants, scholarships and funds that support book projects to Filipino book creators. 

So, see you at the fair!

Pinoy Illustrator Interview: Liza Flores

Liza Flores, illustrator and former President of Ang INK, answers questions about her creative process and the challenge of illustrating Dear Nanay, our book which was published by Lampara Books (2014).

a. What attracted you to use paper when illustrating a book for children?

I have always loved paper! As far as I can remember, whenever I'm at National Bookstore, or any store that has paper, I'd be looking at the store's paper selection (whole sheets, cut sheets, gift wrappers, notebooks), even if I had no real use for it. In a trip to the US, I bought Manila paper, just because their Manila paper had a nice thickness, and was in a nice yellowish-crafty color. 

I think the idea of using paper was planted in my head when I got a set of Japanese bookmarks when I was around 10 years old. 

Then I discovered I was pretty good with scissors. 

b. How different is this medium to, say, water color or digital media as far as rendition is concerned?

When I use paint or colored pencils, I have to have a very clean and detailed drawing of the whole book before I can color. (1) I start by making small thumbnail studies. (2) Then, I draw all the pages again, but this time bigger, a little bigger than the book's size. I use regular bond paper and a pencil when I do this. (3) With A light box, I trace my drawings on to the actual paper board I'll be using. (4) Finally, I color my line drawings.

With paper cutouts, I can jump from rough thumbnail studies straight to cutting. I don't draw on the paper I cut. I just imagine the shapes I need, like a circle for a head of a character, then I cut. Almost any object can be simplified into simple, basic shapes. So I would cut one piece or element at a time, move things around to see what works, and build each character, scene, and page as I go along. Then, I glue the parts when I'm happy with what I have.

c. What was your approach to Dear Nanay? The story is pretty sad, but you made it appear light and cheerful.

I remember Beth Parrocha saying that whenever she got a sad story, the more she wants to make the illustrations happy. That's how I felt after reading the manuscript. 

Also, how the story was written was already easy to understand. So I figured there was room for the illustrations to be less literal. I could illustrate sending a letter via snail mail, or via email, but why not via paper airplanes? 

d. Is being an artist/illustrator your first choice of career? If not, what made you become one? If it is, what keeps you in it?

I couldn't decide what course to take when I was applying for college. I knew I liked art, and maybe something communication-related, but that was it. So I ended up choosing Visual Communication (Fine Arts), not really knowing what I'd be when I graduate. 

It never occurred to me that being an illustrator was a career until I saw INK's exhibit whan I was in college. In fact, it's funny that it never occurred to me that real people made the drawings in my favorite books. And when I saw the illustrations of Robert Alejandro, Mel Silvestre, Joanne de Leon, Beth Parrocha, I thought, hey, I'd like to do that too!

I enjoy the process of making a book. I like imagining the story and making it "real". I learn something new every time: about the materials I use, about what I am capable of, about how to tell a story better. Then, there's the happy bonus of seeing my work printed, and being enjoyed by the one reading it.

Studies of New Book Projects

Totet  de Jesus' studies for Big Sister

Liza Flores' studies on Dear Nanay