Our student, Nathan Cruz wrote book reviews on books about Austism Spectrum Disorder. He has agreed to share them outside the Beacon Academy. This is Nathan's review of "Too Loud:Soothing Sensory Overload with Music" (Saint Matthew's Publishing, 2023).
1. What is the book or story you wish you had written?
A: The first thing that comes to mind is the “Ella Arcangel” komiks series by Julius Villanueva.
I remember when I was younger, stuff from folklore was part of everyday life: when you got sick, you first called an albularyo or magtatawas instead of a doctor, you were afraid to go out at night because of the aswang...the stuff that with time and progress, we relegated to myths, legends, and superstition, but in “Ella Arcangel” they are made real and part of the everyday again. Plus, there’s Julius’ political and social commentary that makes one realize that humans are more horrifying than whatever monsters there may be in our midst.
So yeah, I wish I had created a book like “Ella Arcangel” first or had the eloquence and imagination to make another book like it, haha!
A: Everything? Haha! This is my first children’s book. I am more used to writing comics and I felt like walking on eggshells writing “Too Loud.” There are so many things to watch out for with children as your main target readership, like can I use this word? Is it already part of their vocabulary at this age? Or portraying things that can be misconstrued or might give a bad impression, and it doesn’t occur to you that it could. I was especially self-conscious and double guessing myself if I was able to convey the message of empathy clearly. Plus, with children’s books, we want our young readers to come away from the book with a lesson, but as writers, we have to do it in a way where you won’t come
off as condescending or be too preachy and obvious that you’re trying to teach a lesson.
Describe the experience of working with Arthur and Kahel Press.
A: Great! A lot of things learned. As I mentioned, this is my first book for kids, and Wowie Catabijan of Kahel Press was so patient in teaching me the ropes. Right off the bat, I told her I needed a lot of handholding and if she ever lost patience with me, she absolutely did not show any signs of it! She taught me a lot–both in the business of making children’s books and in writing them. And I still want to continue to learn new things from her.
Then, we were fortunate to have Artie join the team. As a neurodivergent person himself, he clearly understood the assignment and even brought his unique take on executing certain scenes—because they were coming from his own perspective and experiences. For example, showing our character Elmo soothing himself with a blanket is something Artie suggested, and I think it added a nuance to the character that won’t be the same if it were conveyed with just words.
Who is Bambi?
Included among the Philippine Star Life’s list of women who changed local komiks for the better, writer Bambi Eloriaga-Amago is also a Journalism graduate (cum laude) from UP Diliman. She has worked on the editorial staff of various ABS-CBN publications and sat as Editor-in-Chief of Questor: The Ultimate Anime Magazine. She currently works as Manga Editor for US-based Seven Seas Entertainment and also adapts manga scripts for English language readers, including works like It Started With a Kiss and ToraDora. Her collaborations with artist-husband Roland include the Carnal series of komiks and the well-received Doobiedoo Asks, a Kids' Choice Awardee at the 7th National Children's Book Awards. While her latest published work is Too Loud: Soothing Sensory Overload With Music, a picture book illustrated by Artie Cabezas.
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1. What books define your writing
life?
A: I
can’t think of particular books, but I do have authors whose writing styles I
do try to emulate (emphasis on “try,” haha!) One is the late Sir Terry
Pratchett. I love how his works are full of humor, while injecting loads of
social commentary...I wish I was that witty. In the middle of reading, his words
just make you stop and think about life, the universe, what it means to be
human, and have a good laugh about it in the process. Genius, really. My top
two favorite works of his are “Nation” and “The Amazing Maurice and His
Educated Rodents.”
Another
is Rumiko Takahashi, the mangaka famous for creating classics like “Ranma ½”
and “Inu-yasha.” I got into anime and manga because of her. She makes
transitioning from funny to dramatic or action scenes seamless. I wish I could
be as effortless as her in evoking mood changes, without having them come off
as pilit or jarring.
2. What books would you recommend to
parents who have children in the spectrum?
A: Not
to, as we say in Tagalog, magbuhat ng sariling bangko, but I’d like to recommend
my own works—“Doobiedoo Asks” and “Too Loud.” I wrote them specifically for the
“support team:” persons who may not have autism themselves, but do have a loved
one who has. “Doobiedoo Asks” was made with parents in mind. It is the story of
our own family and we shared it, in the hopes of helping other parents who may be
facing a similar situation.
“Too
Loud,” meanwhile, I wrote with fostering empathy in mind. It is geared towards
younger neurotypical readers to show them how to interact with a friend or
schoolmate who has autism.
A book I
think, which may be helpful for parents and adults is “My Brain is Different:
Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders,” it is a manga anthology
illustrated by Monzusu. In the book, the mangaka collects and illustrates
personal accounts of people with developmental disorders like ADHD and autism.
While
for younger readers, controversy over the name Asperger aside, the book that
was most helpful to me in explaining autism to my own son is “All Cats Have
Asperger Syndrome” by Kathy Hoopman. In it, the author likens certain
mannerisms and behavior of people with Asperger to well-known cat traits.
All of
these books are a great first step towards understanding autism, which then
leads to acceptance and accommodations.
Come back for the second part of Bambi's interview tomorrow!
Who is Bambi?
Included
among the Philippine Star Life’s list of women who changed local komiks for the
better, writer Bambi Eloriaga-Amago is also a Journalism graduate (cum laude)
from UP Diliman. She has worked on the editorial staff of various ABS-CBN
publications and sat as Editor-in-Chief of Questor: The Ultimate Anime
Magazine. She currently works as Manga Editor for US-based Seven Seas
Entertainment and also adapts manga scripts for English language readers,
including works like It Started With a Kiss and ToraDora. Her collaborations
with artist-husband Roland include the Carnal series of komiks and the
well-received Doobiedoo Asks, a Kids' Choice Awardee at the 7th National
Children's Book Awards. While her latest published work is Too Loud: Soothing
Sensory Overload With Music, a picture book illustrated by Artie Cabezas.
Socials:
fb: Comics by Amagination
ig: comics_by_amagination
twitter: amagination_c
