A shout out on behalf of Zarah Gagatiga, President of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY):
Please help the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and the National Book Development Board (NBDB) in propagating the good news on the 1st National Children’s Book Awards. Deadline for nominations is April 15, 2010.
General rules and guidelines can be found here and the nomination form here.
The creation of the National Children’s Book Award will name not just one top book or the usual tiered roster of winners, but a “Best Reads List” of a maximum of 10 titles year after year. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in July. For more information on this award and how it came to be read this article by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz
With our current focus on the Philippines, I have been exploring Filipino blogs – and indeed, this post would have gone live a couple of hours ago if my attention hadn’t been caught by this or that blog post!
I already know and follow Into the Wardrobe – and indeed Tarie has been a major contributor to this issue of PaperTigers: read her interviews with authors Carla Pacis, Dorina Lazo Gilmore (reprint) and Edna Cabcabin Moran (reprint). Tarie is also one of this year’s Cybils judges, in the Science Fiction and Fantasy category, so she definitely has her finger on the pulse of what’s out there!
Also Zarah at School Librarian in Action – Zarah opens up the world of Filippino children’s literature and is always happy to share events with us here at PaperTigers. As current president of PBBY, the Philippines chapter of IBBY, she’s another person who seems to know everything that’s going on – definitely another blog to follow!
Of the other blogs I’ve come across, I’ve found plenty of interest at Masayang Mgbasa!, publisher Adarna House’s blog; and I love illustrator and all-round artist Mark Salvatus’ blog – his current art projects are very different to his illustrations for Papa’s House, Mama’s House, which I blogged about recently! I’ve also enjoyed reading Nitoy’s Homeschool Journal and Children, Books and Life Lessons, writer Jean Lee C. Patindol’s blog.
And I’ve read some very moving posts too – writer and illustrator May Tobias Papa describing the devastation to her family’s home during the recent flooding in the Philippines, alongside delightful musings on her small son’s discovery of reading; and writer Dean Alfar’s up-to-the-minute detailings of lack of running water and power-cuts in the wake of Typhoon Ondoy and, most recently, his beautiful eulogy to an old friend, all at his blog Notes from the Peanut Gallery.
So go ahead and dip into these blogs – and if you have any other recommendations do let us know!
You can read more about the devastation caused by Typhoon Onday at TyphoonOnday.org and its sister-site OndayRelief.org, where you can also make a donation to the relief fund.
The Philippine Board on Books for Young People has released the schedule for their 26th Annual National Children’s Book Day celebrations. Events will take place throughout the week of July 20-25 with the awarding of the prestigious PBBY Salanga (Writer) and Alcala (Illustrator) Prizes taking place on July 21st.
2009 Salanga Prize winners:
* Raymund Garlitos, Ang Higante sa Loob ng Aming Bahay (The Giant Inside Our House) (grand prize);
* Perry Mangilaya, Di Ko Man Kamukha sina Inay at Itay (honorable mention);
* Victoria Bravo, Lola-Lola (honorable mention).
Raymund Garlitos’ story, Ang Higante sa Loob ng Aming Bahay revolves around a young child’s feelings and reactions to his OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) father’s homecoming. Garlitos is a teacher of English as a Second Language, as well as a freelance journalist, and has three children’s books to his name. One of these, Chenelyn! Chenelyn!, won an honorable mention in the same contest, back in 1997.
2009 Alcala Prize winners:
* Ferdinand Guevara (grand prize),
* Jomar G. Rivera (honorable mention),
* Maurice Oliver B. Risulmi (honorable mention),
* Christian Oliver Ang Cruz (honorable mention).
Ferdinand Guevara is awarded the 2009 Alcala Prize for his digital-3D interpretation of Ang Higante Sa Loob ng Aming Bahay (see photo, right). Currently working as a 3D animator Guevarra gave a contemporary edge to his illustrations by rendering them in 3D. With his use of applications such as Maya and Zbrush, he merged the digital world with the printed word.
Ferdinand Guevara is no newcomer to the PBBY-Alcala Prize nor indeed to children’s book illustration. In 1996, he won the award for his illustrations for Ang Itim na Kuting, by Natasha Vizcarra. He also illustrated Ang Makapangyarihang Kyutiks ni Mama by Rene Villanueva in 2002.
Check out incoming PBBY chairman Zarah Gagatiga’s blog to read about the National Children’s Day celebrations. You can also read about PBBY’s recent luncheon for South African storyteller Gcina Mhlope-Becker.
School librarian, teacher and incoming PBBY chairman Zarah Gagatiga has passed along the following information on two exciting events taking place in July in the Philippines:
The 2nd National Conference on Children’s Literature - July 16 & 17
The Pilandokan (National Research Society for Children’s Literature) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts will be sponsoring the Second National Conference on Children’s Literature with the theme “Panitikang Pambata sa Edukasyon” (Children’s Literature in Education) on July 16-17 at the University of the Philippines - Diliman.
This national conference will feature paper presentations and workshops by scholars, creative writers, artists, and children’s right advocates. Topics include the Filipino concept of child and childhood; the state of children’s literature in the Philippines; book piracy; literacy programs for urban poor children and the deaf; and the formation of Filipino childhood identity. The Keynote Speaker will be the Pilandokan Founding President Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu.
For further information, please contact Dr. Eugene Y. Evasco and/or Prof. Will P. Ortiz (pagongatmatsing (at) yahoo(dot)com).
26th National Children’s Book Day - 3rd week of July
For the first time ever, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) will hold the celebration of NCBD (National Children’s Book Day) outside Manila in Marikina City. This year’s themes focus on leadership and readership with the slogan Readers Make Good Leaders!
The whole month of July promises to be a fun-filled month of reading, writing and interactive activities for children and literacy advocates. The Salanga and Alcala Prizes will be awarded during the opening ceremonies on July 21, 2009 at the Marikina Convention Center.
You can read about the preparations in Zarah’s post here and I’ll post more information on the Children’s Book Day festivities in the coming weeks.
