Today is the 30th NCBD!

We go back to the where it all began!

The folk tale “The Monkey and the Tortoise” popularized by Dr. Jose Rizal was first published in Trubner's Record July 1889 issue. It was originally drawn in the scrapbook of Paz Pardo de Tavera when Rizal stayed in Paris France in December 1885.

The National Library of the Philippines holds a copy of the folktale complete with English translations. The book was done by Austin Craig and was published in 1912. It has a copy of the original also published in Austin Craig's “Lineage, Life and Labors of Jose Rizal Philippine Patriot : A Study of the Growth of Free Ideas in the Trans-Pacific American Territory” published in 1913.argc

Many thanks to National Library of the Philippines (NLP) librarian, Ann Rosette Crelencia for sending this press release on Rizal's The Monkey and the Tortoise, currently on display in the Rare Book Section of the NLP.

Filipino Librarians: Librarians of the NLP

Kudos to the librarians of the Filipiniana and Rare Book Collection of the National Library of the Philippines (NLP). The privileged viewing they afforded the PBBY of rare Rizaliana was an awe inspiring experience.

From L-R Ms. Rosette Crelencia; Ms. Malou Go; my daughter, Zoe who wants to be a nurse, a librarian and a writer when she grows up; and Mr. Narciso Cruz.



The PBBY went to see Jose Rizal's manuscripts -- the two novels, The Monkey and the Tortoise, his travel journals, Mi Ultimo Adios (which was written by hand on thin paper like tissue), Makamisa and more journals where his sketches and doodles appeared -- in line with the celebration of our National Heroes' sesquicentennial next year. PBBY is going Rizaliana for the 2011 National Children's Book Day!

Rare Books & Rizaliana