Celebrating Kids' Literature

National Children's Book Awards:Philippines

2010-03-31T12:10:00.007+08:00

Finally, a 'Best Reads List' for children

by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz

Neni Sta. Romana Cruz (nenisrc@gmail.com) is a member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, the Foundation for Worldwide People Power, and a trustee of the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation.

Ms. Cruz has graciously given her permission to re-post her article in this blog. It was originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on March 27, 2010.

AT LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (NBA), the children's literature industry stakeholders were disturbed that the usual category for children's literature was not even in the line-up of contenders anymore, as it had been for many years before.

This was especially disappointing as the yearly output of publishers has been steadily increasing, encouraged by the growing public awareness of noteworthy Philippine titles for children and certainly boosted by the popular storytelling and read-aloud sessions by institutions like the Inquirer.

I am the first to admit that more titles do not always correspond to better quality; and I was awaiting the perfectly legitimate and acceptable-and yes, perhaps justified-reason from the Manila Critics Circle: that unfortunately, there was no book that met the standards of literary excellence for 2008. And what a helpful, though damning, statement that would have been for the genre.

No official reason was ever given or received. But moving from the endless conjecturing and the perils of sounding like sour grapes, could the category simply have been overlooked? That does not sound like the handiwork of a Manila Critics Circle-National Book Development Board (NBDB) collaboration.

Was it because for the first time, the NBA carried with it a cash prize aside from the coveted trophy by the year's invited artist? Was the children's literature category combined with or, horrors, subsumed by another?

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) led by chair Zarah Gagatiga and secretary-general Ani Almario, Emily Abrera, RayVi Sunico and Karina Bolasco, sat down with NBDB executive director and booklover Andrea Pasion Flores to discuss where the industry could go from there.

And in typical Andrea fashion (pun unintended), a long held elusive dream of the multi-sectoral PBBY became a reality: the creation of the National Children's Book Award (NCBA), an NBDB-PBBY endeavor which 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.

Books selected for the year, after this initial 2010 competition, will be titles published in the preceding calendar year. The final selection will not be ranked. The board of judges is not compelled to name any minimum number of recommended reading titles should it not find any nominee deserving of inclusion.

NCBA captures much of PBBY's reason for being-to bring children and books together. What is essential to the organization is not only to encourage the writing, illustrating and publishing of quality children's books but also to make these known to parents and teachers, and the young readers who are the intended primary audience.

Finally, this looks like the beginning of the compilation of reading lists, requests for which we are endlessly besieged with.

This should also be the distinct recognition that the talents behind the production of an excellent book will finally be credited with.

The 1st NCBA has just officially begun, barely after the ink has dried on memorandums of agreement. This year's contest rules are condensed below:

1. Anybody, whether publisher, author or illustrator may nominate a children's/young people's book, fiction or nonfiction, for ages 0 to 19 published in the years 2008 and 2009. Not under consideration as yet are electronic books or textbooks.

2. The nominating party must be registered with the NBDB as publisher, author or illustrator.

3. The book must be authored by a Filipino citizen and may be written in English or Filipino. Books in other Filipino languages may be accepted, as specified in contest rules over the years.

4. The book must have been released to the public in the eligible years specified with proof of any of the following: delivery to a bookstore or a jobber; donation to a school or library; distributed to bookstores or entities that sell the book, including online distribution; produced or printed by an entity in quantities consistent with the act of publication.

5. Nomination forms have to be submitted for each title, along with seven copies of the book for the five-member board of judges.

Deadline for submission of all entries is April 15, 2010.

Nomination forms may be downloaded from the NBDB (www.nbdb.gov.ph) and the PBBY (www.pbby.org.ph) websites.

All submissions must be accompanied by a letter of nomination addressed to:

The Executive Director
National Book Development Board
2/F National Printing Office Bldg.
Edsa cor. NIA Northside Road
Bgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City
Subject: The National Children's Book Awards

Each selected title will be awarded a trophy. A citation from the board of judges for each book will be read during the awards ceremony.

The special logo for the NCBA was created by talented illustrator and former PBBY chair Totet de Jesus.

May the Best Reads List for 2010 --to be announced in July at a special awards program --open up young minds to worlds (and yes, words, too) beyond their ken and nurture discriminating, critical readers. We owe our youth that.

Reading Response Journal: The Little Prince

2010-01-28T12:01:00.000+08:00

Nur Hasanah Binte Osman was a classmate of Yvone Koo. But I didn’t meet her in person until after four or five weeks into the semester. She was pregnant and was about to give birth when classes began in August 2009. So we made use of distance learning to the hilt.

When Hasanah did come to class in person to join her classmates, she blended easily and took part actively in group tasks. It seemed as if she had been there all the time because she had followed the course outline diligently and had done all the required readings and the learning tasks via our electronic learning platform.

I knew she was a competent student, but her sincerity and honesty were more admirable. In this reading response journal, she has a most intimate conversation with the little child in her.

“Something to Do, Something to Love,
Something to Hope For”

by Nur Hasanah Binte Osman

I discovered in this book that life is simple and the:
“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” – Joseph Addison

Truthfully, reading this book made me feel sad, disappointed and even made me question my actions in life. Am I like any of the characters that the prince mentioned? Is my love like that of the prince? Am I a good friend?

In this Reading Response Journal, I will illustrate the turmoil that I went through still searching for my answers and like the prince, I would “ . . . never in (my) whole life give up on a question once . . . I’ve asked it” and through this seeking journey, I discovered the “. . . secret, very simply: you can see things clearly with your heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Entry 1: In the Eyes of Grown-ups

“But the answer would always be: ‘That is a hat.’ In which case I would not talk to that person about boa constrictors, or virgin forests, or stars. I would place myself on their level. I would talk about bridge and gold, about politics and neckties. And the grown-up would be very pleased to have made the acquaintance of such a sensible fellow.”

Adulthood is a state of mind. Being an adult, most of us are trapped with our busy schedules and we become rather narrow-minded and single track-minded. I was taken aback when I first realized this. Nevertheless, when I looked back at my actions and reactions to my pupils and children, I had to agree.

There was an incident when I jumped in anger because a child had brought an empty can for his ‘show and tell’ activity. I did not want to give him the benefit of the doubt. It was only later that I realized there was a story behind the empty can.

As adults, we constantly make the mistake of rushing through our daily chores without stopping to think and see the beauty that children see. My little girl always points to a cloud to tell me stories of the animals formed in them. She always needs to explain to me in detail, as written in the Little Prince, “ Grown –ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children always and forever to be giving explanations” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery, p6 ) .

I have to be more of a child.

Entry 2 : Looking with our Hearts

“If someone loves a flower, of which there is only one example among all the millions and millions of stars, that is enough to make him happy when he looks up at the night sky. He says to himself: “Somewhere out there is my flower.” But if a sheep eats the flower, it’s as though all the stars have suddenly gone out! But I suppose that, too, is of no importance!”(Antoine de Saint-Exupery, p 27)

I am often guilty of not loving with all my heart. At times, the selfish side wins over the better side of myself. I forget what is more important as I rush through my days. Only lately, with my newborn baby, have I discovered this love again. I realized the things that are more important in my life.

My family and friends are important to me. However, I have been taking them for granted. Work and daily tasks had seemed to overtake all that I truly love. I’d forgotten about my passion. As a teenager, I was an active community volunteer. It made me happy. Now, I suppose, this passion had taken a step back. It is sad, when our priorities have changed.

Life has to be simple as stated, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” (Confucius) If only we could see the beauty in the flower like how the prince had loved it.
If each one of us cared enough for the things that are truly important, this whole place would be different.

There would not be any concern for a dying planet. Children would not be abused. Hunger and poverty would be minimized. Humanitarian activities would be everybody’s job. Then we would be like the prince, “ . . .his loyalty to a flower, to the image of a rose, which shines inside him like the flame of a lamp . . .” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery, p 77)

I have to love the simple things in life.

Entry 3: Time and Friendship

“One only ever understands what one tames. People no longer have the time to understand anything. They buy everything ready-made from the shops. But there is no shop where friends can be bought, so people no longer have friends.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery, p 69)

This insight truly stood out for me. Friendship had been important as I was growing up. My friends were the ones I laughed with and confided in. I used to spend a lot of time with them. They were the ones who were always there by my side and were the ones who kept me warm on cold days that life has granted me.

I came from what most would say, a dysfunctional family. My father had two wives. My mother blamed us, her children, for her misery and arguments were a norm in my daily routine. It was then that friendship warmed me. It was also then I spent most of my time with friends.

It is disappointing that now I have to even check my schedule to meet up with those friends of mine. Talking about investing time on friendship? Perhaps, like what was mentioned by the fox, I no longer have friends.

I have to hope. . .

Reading Response Journal: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

2010-01-22T18:32:00.003+08:00

Yvonne Koo belongs to a group of full-time teachers who are doing part-time studies at NIE as part of their professional development. She took Children's Literature during the first semester of Academic Year 2009-2010.

In many ways, Yvonne reminded me of Quek Hsu Imm, an accountancy major who took Children's Lit as an elective in January- April 2009. Both Yvonne and Hsu Imm are quiet and unassuming. They're soft-spoken, gentle, and mild-mannered. Yvonne didn't quite register in my consciousness, unlike her outspoken classmates, until she wrote her reading response journal.

In addition to being a full-time teacher, she's also a full-time wife and mother. Thus, her response to the book she journeyed with is like an album of cherished photographs of her own childhood as well as her children's. It's written straight from the heart, and it's a great read!

Bridging the Generation Gap

by Yvonne Koo

inspire4less.com

Introduction

I first read “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret”, written by Judy Blume, when I was thirteen years old. When I picked the book up again for my reading journey after two and a half decades, I could not remember the plot but the title of the book has stayed in my memory.

Reading it again as an adult gives me new insights and brings back memories about my teenage years. It makes me think of the world my children will be living in as teenagers and the world I was in back then. It is going to be a vast difference. How can I bridge this gap?

Entry #1: Simple Joy

When Margaret held the envelope in her hand she was filled with curiosity. She did not know who sent her the letter and the suspense she experienced while opening the envelope was enormous. I held my breath together with her. I recalled having the same experience as her too. In my teens I enjoyed having pen pals – writing letters and making friends especially long distance friends.

I really missed those times when I could receive letters from friends. A true letter where secrets were written and a stamp pasted on the envelope and no one could open it except the addressee. What I receive in the mails today are junk mails and bills. I do not have the joy of receiving mails anymore like I did when I was a teenager.

It was such a nostalgic feeling when I read how Margaret felt before opening her letter. “I wondered who sent it. Wondering made it much more fun than ripping it open and knowing right away.” (Judy Blume, 1978, Pg 79) I had the exact feeling like Margaret as a teenager when I received letters from my pen pals from all over the world. There were much joy and excitement when the postman arrived at the doorstep delivering mails. I waited for him in anticipation.

However, it is not so now. My daughters received less than three letters in their ten years of existence. They do not know what pen pals are. They wonder why they need to mail an invitation card instead of writing an email or a short message service (SMS) to invite their friends to their birthday party. How sad indeed. I would like to rejuvenate the joy of receiving letters in my daughters’ lives by sending them a letter every school holiday. I hope they too will experience the “wondering” that I used to experience when receiving letters as a teenager.

Entry #2: We Reap What We Sow

It is beyond my comprehension how Margaret’s dad could be so rude to Margaret’s maternal grandparents. His body language and mannerism had outwardly shown to them that they were not welcome. His behaviour had affected Margaret in a negative way. She began to dislike her maternal grandparents even more.

Being brought up in a rather conservative Chinese family, filial piety is an important value my parents instilled in me. Being filial means respecting the elders at all times – no questions asked. My parents modeled this value to me by being excellent children themselves - respecting their own parents at all times even though they may not always be right.

Teenagers of this generation may not be able to tolerate the 'nonsense' of the older generation better than my parents or my generation. However, I still want my children to respect their elders as this is the basic value one should possess – respecting oneself and others. By modeling such value in front of my children, I hope they will in turn manifest such value in their lives. There should not be compromise when respecting oneself and others is concerned, but as modern parents I believe in giving a listening ear to my children rather than forcing my ideas and rights on them.

Entry #3: Being open-minded

Margaret was worried that she was not growing as fast as her peers. When she found out that she was not the last one among her peers to get her menstruation, she was elated. I find it strange, as I do not remember having been so excited about all these changes I had to go through during puberty. In fact I was ashamed of telling my friends and talking about such changes.

My twin daughters are in Primary 4 now. I grew up in an all-girls school and so are my daughters. The difference is, my girls are not ashamed of talking about such changes in their bodies. They talk about the topic on menstruating so freely even though I have not yet sat them down to have a serious chat.

I believe children of this generation are exposed to the media and internet at a much early age. They could get information almost instantaneously and such topics are no longer a taboo like what it used to be during my time. Parents are more educated and they find it educational to share such topics with their children at an early age. In order not to be seen as “old-fashioned,” I believe I have to take on such topics with confidence and without inhibition.

Conclusion

My daughters will be in their teens in two years' time. Even though we may come from two different generations, I hope I will be able to go into their world and understand them and they in turn will come into my world to learn from the experience I have gone through. I hope that the generation gap will not be grow wider as we age; instead, we will bridge the gap as we share the bond and love we have been building all these years.

Like Margaret, I would like to end this book journey with a prayer for this new teenage experience that both my girls and I will be going through.

“Are you there, God? It’s me, Yvonne.
I hope my daughters will enjoy their teenage years as much as I had enjoyed mine.
Protect the friendship and bond we have built together all these years during those times, God.
Thank you.”

Reading Response Journal: Diary of a Young Girl

2009-10-02T16:46:00.007+08:00

Sebastian Wu is a tall, young man with a boyish face. He always looks well-scrubbed, enthusiastic, happy, and eager to learn. An accountancy major in his final year, his genuine interest in children’s literature has been infectious.

During our first session, we had a simple acquaintance game in which Sebastian was the only one who was able to recite all 23 names of his classmates. They gladly voted for him as the Class Rep. And he has gladly and cheerfully performed his duties as the servant-leader of his classmates.

Here’s his reading response journal about Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl.

Difficult Times:

A Test of Character

by Sebastian Wu

rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com

I. Introduction

It is in difficult times that a person grows stronger mentally and emotionally. This is really true. I do realize that this book is a war diary about how World War II had affected Anne Frank’s life.

Anne Frank was a thirteen-year old pretty little girl then and war caused her life to change drastically. In order to adapt to such extreme changes, she had to become stronger. She managed to do it and people around her grew stronger as well.

They learned how to care for and share with one another. Together they endured and showed many great qualities in their character during the war. This is very encouraging and interesting.

II. Body

This was my first attempt at reading a book about war. My knowledge about war had come mostly from history textbooks in secondary school, movies, and documentaries. Thus, this was a great experience for me getting to see, hear and feel the war just as if I was there during that time.

It was totally fascinating yet frustrating and sad as well. For war is never a good thing. The book stirred up my emotions and got me pondering about how things would be like if I were in Anne’s shoes. Sometimes I felt confused; sometimes I felt sad. But I really liked the vicarious experience that this book has provided me with.

Below is one of the entries that expressed my anger at discrimination.

A. 1st Entry
‘So the Germans are of a higher class compared to the Jews? How could the Jews be willing to bear this kind of insult and humiliation? I would have protested strongly if I were in their shoes.’
Analysis/comment

I can see that when I was doing the journal entry, I was very angry. I was angry because I felt that it is very unfair and that no one should be discriminated against like that.

Personally I do not have any relevant experience regarding this issue yet. But I have always believed that people should not let others determine their life.

As I look back, it seemed that I failed to fully appreciate the situation of the Jews during the Second World War. They were trapped. Any reckless action could put their loved ones in trouble. Should they be captured or killed, what would their loved ones do?

So I was wrong to ask them to protest against the oppressive treatment they endured. The only way they could have coped was to become very strong-willed and determined to survive the suffering.

But that was just discrimination, war itself was worse.

B. 2nd Entry
‘But yet I really cannot imagine myself in their shoes. The only quiet respite they had was when the war alarm would stop sounding and the planes would stop bombing and the people would stop shouting.

But when you have a quiet moment and you thought at last you get to have some moments of peace, the whole cycle would begin again. Living in such stressful and traumatizing environment, how could anyone be able to take it?

But how about those who have been caught and have been thrown into the concentration camps?’

Analysis/comment

The effects of war are indeed very dreadful. When I was making the comments, I was trying to imagine myself living in that time, having to hear war alarms, planes flying overhead and bombs detonating everywhere. It was totally chaotic.

I felt confused and scared when I thought of it. I would go crazy living such a stressful life. For you would not know when a bomb would drop on your roof. Trying to sleep while worrying about that would be totally insane.

Moreover, the war had destroyed the lifestyles of the people as well. All the artists, musicians, engineers and many more professionals were captured and thrown into the concentration camp where they were tortured and mistreated like animals. Such physical pain and mental torture were unimaginable. That’s why I really respect those who persevered and endured.

C. 3rd Entry
‘Who else can they depend on other than those who are staying right under the same roof? There were plenty of incidents that the Franks encountered problems with Mrs Van Daan, yet she is always willing to step in and offer a helping hand. So we can see that there’s always a good side in everyone.’
Analysis/comment

I really feel that when something bad happens, the people closest to you are always the people who will offer a helping hand. It is true that extreme conditions or difficult times cause people to become selfish and care only about themselves.

But we have to agree that there is always a good side to everyone. And war, perhaps not the most ideal situation, can bring out this goodness in people. It is very heart-warming to see how people are willing to care for and share with others when they do not even have enough for themselves.

III. Conclusion

We should give a round of applause to those people who have overcome difficult times and have emerged with stronger characters. They stood tall and strong against such odds. It is very admirable.

This book has taught me a lot about compassion, kindness, and strength of character. I will definitely share what I have learned with the people closest to me. Or perhaps, a stranger in need.

Reading Response Journal: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

2009-10-02T16:23:00.006+08:00

Quek Hsu Imm is a quiet, unassuming young lady. She speaks up when spoken to, but she never shows an eagerness to be in the limelight. She seems to enjoy listening as the others engage in animated discussions.

Teachers never really discover a student’s true worth until that student writes a paper, in this case, a reading response journal. Suddenly, Quek Hsu Imm is a head taller than most of her classmates.

When I told her that her paper was one of the outstanding ones, she was surprised and delighted. It boosted her confidence, but she still remained relatively quiet in class. Nevertheless, it made her realize that my door is wide open for her, and she and I spent little moments every so often talking about elements of literature, ingredients of fantasy, and her dream of becoming a writer. Intriguingly, she’s an accountancy major.

Becoming a Better Reader and Writer

by Quek Hsu Imm

http://www.randombuzzers.com/

I love reading storybooks, especially if they are fantasy stories written for children. I would turn each page eagerly to find out what happens next. Fantasy stories are bound only by the limits of imagination, and that is one of the reasons why I love reading them.

In fact, I have been writing my own stories, though more often than not, they lie unfinished somewhere in my bedroom.

All these while, my description of stories that I liked reading had been limited to a few adjectives that hardly did justice to those books. However, after taking up this module, I grew in the aspect of understanding children’s literature and I also learned various ways of analyzing stories and constructing their many meanings.

Hence, this reading response journal will illustrate that I was better able to appreciate the finer details of stories, as seen from my increased ability to express my thoughts and feelings which resulted from a deeper appreciation of the elements of literature.

I journeyed with a children’s novel in a span of eight weeks and I chose to do so with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (1950). I wrote down my personal response in a journal after each week’s reading, and so there were eight entries in total. Looking at my weekly entries, I found that the way I described and analyzed the story changed over time.

First Entry
I knew that I would really like this book as I simply love books of the fantasy genre, especially when it involves talking animals. The book made use of an omniscient narrator’s point of view and it is really interesting. I like the idea about Lucy exploring the wardrobe and finding a way into Narnia. When I was young, I used to think that wardrobes are mysterious, especially those with an exceptionally intimidating exterior. I remember spending hours exploring my parents’ wardrobe, though I did not find my way into any magical worlds.

Based on my first entry, I can see that I was really a greenhorn in spotting details worth noting and appreciating the story on the whole. I could only write about how much I liked the book, but I could not really say why. It was all gut feel.

I can see that my comments were rather general and lacked depth. In addition, I also realized that I particularly liked books that had in them familiar scenes from my own childhood with an added touch of imagination, such as exploring a wardrobe and finding the way into a magical world.

Second Entry
Once again, Narnia was described in great detail which helped readers to visualize the land transforming from winter to spring. With the setting moving into spring, it also sets the mood and hints to the readers that better times are coming for Narnia and reinforces the idea that good triumphs over evil.

I like the way Peter had to fight his first battle and save Susan before he was knighted by Aslan. It showed that Peter proved himself and earned his way into knighthood which was much better than if he was just bestowed the title without any effort on his part. It also further builds Peter’s personality and character as knights are often associated with qualities such as valor.

I have come a long way from my first entry, and I can see the difference between the two. I was starting to read deeper into the meanings of the events happening in the book and to go in-depth when discussing certain elements of literature, such as the setting and themes used in modern fantasy stories to help suspend disbelief.

I was also able to support my views with evidence from the book and link my thoughts together coherently to form logical conclusions regarding them; hence, better expressing my opinion. I could better appreciate the parts that I liked best in the story too, as seen from my views on how Peter was knighted.

Third Entry
I feel that the transition from reality into the fantasy world of Narnia and back was nicely done. In addition, Edmund matured from being a mean little boy at the start of the story and proved himself otherwise at the end, making him a dynamic character.

The part about mice biting away the ropes that held Aslan captive reminded me of the story, “Lion and the Mouse” from Aesop’s Fables. Perhaps the author drew inspiration from it. I loved the conversational style adopted in the book as well, for it made the reading interesting and gave me the feeling that I was hearing the story from the narrator himself.

In this final entry, I can see myself combining all the knowledge I have learnt in class and using it while writing my response. I have more profound thoughts while reading than before and I am no longer frustrated over the lack of terms to describe the parts of the story that I liked as I now understand many elements of literature.

Knowing how to read deeper into a text has become familiar to me and a whole new level of experience in reading has opened up for me. I was able to note little details that help enhance the entire story and to seek out implicit themes woven into the plot. Equipped with an increasing level of knowledge I learnt from class as each week passed, I was able to better appreciate this book, especially towards the end.

In conclusion, as seen from the above, I have learned how to better appreciate the finer details of a story, and the magical way a story weaves itself together. I am really glad because I will be able to enjoy reading even more and at the same time, write better stories too!

Reading Response Journal: Sing to the Dawn

2009-05-17T15:39:00.007+08:00

Mavis Tan is usually quiet in class. But she pays attention, and I can usually read her thoughts on her lovely, transparent face. When she knits her eyebrows, I stop and ask her what’s on her mind. Always, she has an incisive observation or a thought-provoking question.

A psychology major, Mavis is interested in finding out how children’s literature can influence a child’s development in terms of cognition, behaviour and moral values acquisition.

When I read her reading response journal, I knew that I had an outstanding essay in my hands. It doesn’t happen all the time these days, and so I’d like to share it with you with pride.

Education, Gender Inequality, and Kinship

by Mavis Tan

members.authorsguild.net

Sing to the Dawn (1975) by Minfong Ho was one of the first literary texts I studied in secondary school. When I picked up this book again for the reading response journal, traces of the notes I had made in pencil still remained.

I tried to recall my first impression of the story, but I could only vaguely remember the plot. I made it a point to erase my pencil markings so that I could start afresh exploring the book.

This book has once again touched me because like the main character, Dawan, I believe continuous effort can help me fulfill my dreams. Being an adult, I can relate to the themes of the story better.

However, the fact that I was born and raised in different social circumstances seems to deny me the ability to totally understand the struggles of Dawan.

In the following sections, I have selected three responses which best represent my emotions and thoughts about this book. In addition, I will be commenting and reflecting upon these responses with regard to the importance of education, the issue of gender inequality, and the power of kinship.

Entry 1: Education - Privilege or Obligation?

… I may have taken my education for granted all these years. It was ‘natural’ to go to school, ‘natural’ to pass examinations and ‘natural’ to pursue higher education. I’ve never had to fight for an opportunity to study. My dad will be happy for me if I got first in class. I won’t have to be scared of doing well. Everything will be great if I do well in my exam. Why is Dawan so scared? What has that society done to young girls who have dreams? It’s absurd.

Primary education is compulsory for every Singaporean child. Unlike children in less developed countries who have no access to schools and books, Singaporean children are truly fortunate.

However, this privilege has turned into an obligation for many Singaporean students. It is sad to hear of students who complain about how much they hate school and homework, for they do not seem to see the true purpose of education.

Unlike Dawan who has a dream to help her village people, to help those who are not educated, and to rid the society of injustice, children today may be simply studying for the sake of satisfying their need to be recognized and acknowledged as worthy individuals of society.

Who is responsible for such a mindset? How can children appreciate and learn the true purpose of being educated? Adults should ponder on the important role we play as parents and teachers, and not take away a child’s right of a joyful and fruitful education.

Entry 2: Is Gender Inequality Fated?

I’m so sad. Dawan is always being given hope, and then things and people take that hope away. She smiles, then gets worried, then gets hopeful again, and is disappointed again. It frustrates me to read how she has to go through this roller coaster of emotions.

Why do brothers have the right to hit sisters? It is unjust. Why is Dawan being denied a dream by so many people who are supposed to be wise and encouraging? Are they really concerned about her? Or have they been brainwashed by the system? Maybe just because she is a girl.

Being part of a society with high gender equality, it is hard for me to imagine how it is like to be unworthy of something because of one’s gender. For a long time, many have tried to justify their biased thoughts and behaviour, but the suffering inequality brings to people is real, not imagined.

Women in many traditional societies have suffered because they are viewed as inferior to men. They are deprived of their rights as human beings, and many have continued to resign to their fate for centuries. But that ‘fate’ was created by human beings. It takes courageous individuals to stand up for justice. Or rather, it takes just one individual who dares to dream.

Entry 3: The Power of Kinship

… I know Kwai and Dawan love each other. In the midst of the struggle between chasing their dreams and reality, their relationship was hurt. Deep in their hearts, they wish each other the best, and only want the best for each other. It takes more than kinship to make selfless sacrifices. It takes courage. Dawan is brave. And so is Kwai. Love and courage have conquered injustice.

A strong and close-knit family acts as a support for us in times of struggle and uncertainty. Although squabbles may be frequent between siblings and spouses, we love and cherish each other deep in our hearts. The end of the book shows that despite the trouble caused by Dawan’s intent to further her education, her family remains close-knit.

Grandmother’s encouragement to Dawan brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps I know how it feels like to have someone assure me that ‘nothing is impossible’. The power of words of wisdom and a seemingly simple encouragement can change the life of a loved one.

I have briefly commented on the aspects of education, gender inequality and kinship in my response, and I will conclude with the following points.

Firstly, we need to cherish the opportunity to be educated and help our young to do the same.

Secondly, gender inequality is a social issue which can be overcome with courage and perseverance.

Thirdly, strong bonds with kin serve as a source of love and support.

To me, these aspects are important in every society because they have tremendous impact on individuals and social life. Through these three aspects, the theme of having the courage to pursue one’s dreams is exemplified.

Finally, I believe that Sing to the Dawn serves as a good book for both children and adults in this modern day. We can benefit a lot from the story and the messages it brings across.

Reading Response Journal: The View from Saturday

2009-05-10T20:53:00.006+08:00

Shari Chong must have e-mailed me on January 2, 2009. She wanted to enroll in my Children’s Literature course, but it was full. Not wanting additional students, I tried to brush her off. But she called me, then before I knew it, she was in my office. She was panting, having run all the way from the other side of the campus.

I relented. I wrote a letter to the Registrations Office to allow Shari Chong to enroll in the course AAE283: Introduction to Children’s Literature.

Shari’s a junior Fine Arts student who plans to teach Arts and Literature when she completes her degree as well as her post-graduate diploma in education.

Please go over her reading response journal, then tell me if I’d made a wise decision in letting her join the class.

Where Kindred Spirits Meet

by Shari Chong

nebraska.lib.overdrive.com

"Before you can be anything, you have to be yourself.
That's the hardest thing to find."
-- E.L. Konigsburg

There is liberation in having like-minded friends. In E.L. Konigsburg’s novel, The View From Saturday (1996), we see the advantages of being around people who love and accept us unconditionally. These relationships free us to discover ourselves, explore our potential and in turn, accept others for who they are.

Entry 1: Soul Searching
I just finished the book. I couldn’t put it down! And I can’t wait to reread it! What kindred spirits they are -- Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian! What kindred spirits they are -- Mrs. Olinski and Mr. Singh!

Wikipedia (2004) describes a “kindred spirit” as “someone who shares similar thoughts and feelings; someone who is close in temperament and nature to yourself, to whom you have a rare spiritual link that is very special which you can't quite explain.”

I came across the term many years ago when reading L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (1908). Anne Shirley is my favourite literary heroine. She is feisty, hot-headed, exceptionally insightful and extremely redheaded (just like Nadia)!

It is interesting that we say we “look for” and “hope to find” our kindred spirits. So it is a search, a journey! And how liberating it is to find others who “just know” because it enables you to relax and “just be”.

I see three “kindred” relationships in this novel, the first between the four children, the second between The Souls (the four children) and Mr. Singh, and lastly, between The Souls and Mrs. Olinski.

(Mr. Singh is Julian’s father while Mrs. Olinski is the four children’s teacher and coach in a statewide quiz competition.)

Anne Shirley would have declared Mr. Singh a kindred spirit right off the bat. He is the insightful adult, a child at heart, fanciful and imaginative. He is also the voice of wisdom that brings all the kindred spirits together under one roof in the Sillington House.

Mrs. Olinski’s “kindred” relationship with The Souls is progressive. She is recognized and accepted by the children before she is even aware of it. “The Souls opened the front door for her” (Konigsburg, p. 160) to enter their lives.

Did they choose to love her or did she choose them? The answer is, “Yes!” (Konigsburg, p.160).

Entry 2: Where Souls Meet, There is Freedom
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (Williamson, 1992, pp. 190-191)

The last two lines of this quote from Marianne Williamson remind me of something Ethan Potter (one of the four children) said, “Something in Sillington House gave me permission to do things I had never done before. Never thought of doing…The Souls listened and were not embarrassed to hear, and I was not embarrassed to say…” (Konigsburg, 1996, p. 93)

Entry 3: Where Souls Meet, There is Healing
My family loves wholesome movies that inspire and encourage. Many of these movies revolve around the student-teacher relationship. Movies such as To Sir, With Love (Clavell, 1967), The Ron Clark Story (Haines, 2006), and Freedom Writers (LaGravenese, 2007) depict the student-teacher relationship as symbiotic, with both parties learning from each other.

I recently bought Akeelah and the Bee (Atchison, 2006) for my Dad. The movie tells the story of a young girl, Akeelah Anderson, who has the gift of spelling and how she and her teacher make it to the top in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in America. When I watched the movie, I made instant links with Konigsburg’s novel.

Both stories are about extraordinary children whose potential is recognised and nurtured. But most importantly, both stories feature children being able to heal broken hearts through compassion.

In Akeelah (Atchison, 2006), the teacher who helps the girl, Dr. Joshua Larabee, is carrying a deep pain inside of him from the loss of his daughter and wife. Mrs. Olinski is also carrying a deep pain inside of her because of her accident which has rendered her wheelchair-bound.

And just as Akeelah helps Dr. Larabee find hope again by needing and loving him, The Souls help Mrs. Olinski “stand on her own two feet” by giving “her some support” and “a lift” (Konigsburg, 1996, p. 97).

“All the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not have done for Mrs. Eva Marie Olinski what the kindness of four sixth-grade souls had.” (Konigsburg, 1996, p.159).

I’ve journeyed with The Souls for a couple of months now. From the very beginning, I’ve wondered what the title meant, The View From Saturday.

Upon reaching the end of my Reading Response journey, I realize that the “view” is the vantage point from which we see each character’s journey come into perspective.

It is the point where paths converge and four souls come together, regrouped and ready to forge new paths together. Whenever The Souls would meet, they were free to be themselves.

Thus, love and kindness multiplied and overflowed into the soul of their teacher. Indeed, there is liberation in having like-minded friends.

Let me end with this conversation which warms my heart:

“A cup of kindness, Mr. Singh? Is that what I’ve found?”

“Kindness, yes, Mrs. Olinski. [The Souls] found kindness in others and learned how to look for it in themselves… Each of The Souls has had a journey, and so have you, Mrs. Olinski.” (Konigsburg, 1996, pp. 157-158)

Reading Response Journal: The Secret Garden

2009-05-01T12:17:00.006+08:00

How do you judge a book with many covers? It’s a very intriguing proposition, indeed. I thought I’d turn in for the night after finishing my quota of papers to mark for the day.

But I gave in to my curiosity whipped up by the terrific title of Denise Chung’s reading response journal, “Judging a Book by its Many Covers.” (Denise is one of my students in Children’s Literature.)

It was well worth the extra hour I stayed awake for the day. I hope you’ll enjoy reading Denise’s paper as much as I have.

Judging a Book by its Many Covers

by Denise Chung

www.coverbrowser.com

To begin, I would like to use a parallel concept from the music world. In the context of popular music, Wikipedia defines a ‘cover’ as a new rendition of a prior recording and commercially released song.

Applying this concept to the literary world, books whose stories have been transposed onto other platforms of expression can be said to have accumulated new ‘covers’. And through my reading response journal, I have learnt to appreciate the transitions and transformations of the classic story, The Secret Garden.

Entry 1: 30th January 2009
The problem about watching a film adaptation of a book before actually reading the book is the difficulty of separating images from the film from the text of the novel. I had watched the film ‘The Secret Garden’ (1993) before reading the book.

And though I had watched the movie many years ago, I liked it so much I wanted to read the book for my reading response journal. So when I finally got to read the book, I was extremely happy that it didn’t disappoint. The reading experience was as magical as the film had been.

It made me search youtube.com for clips of the movie and refresh my visual memory. In my search, I stumbled across some more video snippets of the Broadway musical version ‘The Secret Garden’ as well as many other adaptations of the story into theatre screenplays.

My exposure to the various adaptations of The Secret Garden has increased my respect for the original novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The author has deftly written a classic story with the ability to inspire beyond its time.

As a storyteller of sorts myself, I wish to be able to claim, one day, such an achievement through my creations. It is also heartening to know that a story need not be confined to the limitations of a printed book. (Summerfield, 2006)

Many classic tales have been given a second life, compliments of various film and theatre adaptations. For example, The Secret Garden was written in 1911 and was later adapted into a major motion picture.

Advancements in technology, like the extensive influence of the Internet, have also aided in spreading the contents of the book beyond its physical form, making it available to a wider audience.

Entry 2: 26th February 2009
I was looking for the ‘Charlie & the Chocolate Factory’ picture book for the class presentation when I came across a copy of ‘The Secret Garden’ on the same shelf. They were in the restricted section of the NIE library, which had a copy of all the reading materials recommended on the course reading list.

What surprised me was the design of the book cover! It was so bright and cheery, a vast difference from my own copy of the story. My book had a simple green and white cover, no illustration.

The actual physical cover of the novel has seen much change as well. Over the years, the book has had various reprints and updates to the accompanying illustrations. The story has been repackaged for different groups of readers, targeting both the young and old.

As good as the contents of a book may be, it is hard to deny the appeal of an attractive cover and the instinct to pick up a book based on the physical attractiveness of its cover.

The reinvention of the physical appearance of The Secret Garden has probably been a major factor in attracting new fans to the book. Personally, I was attracted to the simplicity of the book I bought as it gave me an opportunity to create my own ‘cover’ for the book, as described in the journal entry below:

Entry 3: 5th March 2009
I was in book-making class today and the assignment was to learn a new binding technique. The interesting thing is that we had to tear out the covers of grubby paperback novels, and bind them with a new hard cover.

I thought that it would really be a waste to use a brand new cover on a book I didn’t have a relationship with. Fortunately, I had my copy of ‘The Secret Garden’ in my bag. And it made me really happy to be able to use the book as part of my assignment material!

Having read the book over and over again, it was exciting to be able to create a pretty and new hardcover for a story that I have grown so fond of.

My reading response journal has made me aware of how a book could grow from its paperbound form into other media. Versatility of books to adapt to social change has allowed classic stories to survive beyond their times, and this is a good insight to learn.

Even in the story of The Secret Garden, there is a recurring theme of rejuvenation. This is seen in the rebirth of the hidden garden, Colin’s physical recovery, and the restoration of dead or dying relationships.

Mary’s growth from a sullen little girl into a cheerful and inspiring child is another major transformation that develops from the start to the end of the book.

Thus, by giving my copy of The Secret Garden a new and improved cover, it felt as if I was able to take the story into my own hands, transforming it into something of my own creation.

It was a deeply symbolic gesture, signifying my own personal transformation after reading The Secret Garden.

Reading Response Journal: The Little Prince

2009-04-30T15:15:00.007+08:00

Who’s the most important entity in the author-text-reader triangle? The reader, according to the reader response theory. (Rosenblatt, 1938) It is the anonymous reader who makes a text come alive. Obviously, authors and texts will not survive without readers.

And so one of the requirements in my Children’s Literature class is that the students read a novel over an 8-week period while diligently keeping a weekly journal.

This is the assignment prompt:

1. Choose a children’s novel from the short list of literary selections.
2. Read 50 pages, more or less, every week. Write your personal response in your journal. You must have a weekly entry.
3. Choose your three best entries from Weeks 1 – 8. Synthesize them in one essay.

A reading journey is personal and unique to an individual. No two persons will respond in the same way to a literary selection. Feel free to respond to what grabs your attention, provokes your thoughts, or touches your heart . Then write down your observations, your thoughts, your feelings, and most of all, your insights.

This semester, it has been a joy to teach 24 senior and junior students from various disciplines of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Let me share with you some of their reading response journals.

Right now, I’d like to focus the spotlight on Samuel Chew’s piece. He read The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.

The Maturing Reflections of a Young Adult

by Samuel Chew

onpilgrimage.vox.com

This journey began the day I started to read The Little Prince. The book is about a pilot, who realizes that life’s events are too difficult to understand, succumbs to mysteries, and eventually learns what is important in life.

As a reader, I noted down my weekly reflections and responses in my diary, and at the end of eight weeks, I stepped back to appreciate the entries in my diary. It caught me by surprise that I am not quite the same person before and after the book-reading experience.

From a naïve, bitter, self-centred person, I grew to be more mature, proactive and appreciative towards my loved ones. Hence, this Reading Response Journal will illustrate the maturing reflections of a young adult

Entry 1: The Anatomy of Grown-Ups (Chapters 3 to 7)

Grown-ups are distrusting; they must see things for themselves before they believe a word children say.

They are so superficial. It’s like telling my parents “I’ve got a job that I really like, it allows me to hone my talents and pursue my interest, however it does not pay so well.” They will say “stop dreaming, it cannot earn you a living.

But if you were to tell them,”Hey Dad, I’ve got a job that pays me higher than average.” They will tell you, “Excellent!” Why are grown-ups like that?

I used to dread growing up. As a child, I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I could make silly comments and funny faces. The protection from my parents made me feel like a king. Yet, I hated adults since they are so inhumane and harsh in their language. I was bitter and could not tolerate adults who assert their authority over others.

Entry 2: The Life of an Accountant (Chapters 12 to 15)
There is a Businessman/Accountant in the story who has kept counting money all his life and claims he is a “serious man”, not wanting to be disturbed.

Will I be like him? Will I be only interested in working and counting money every day? To an extent that I don’t get enough exercise or time to even take strolls?

I have a rather outgoing personality and I enjoy sports. Soccer, running or whatsoever never fails to lift up my moods and make me feel happy during and after engaging in it. It is the adrenaline rush that I get from sports that keeps me going. Also, it is a form of therapy for me as it helps me de-stress during difficult times.

Being a final-year Accountancy student, I’d like to be able to balance my time to work hard and play hard when I join the working world in a few months’ time. Reviewing my entries, I realize that I am beginning to be more long-sighted about life and positive about myself.

I want to excel in my job without compromising time spent on sports and recreation. Perhaps, in the past, the over-protection from my parents had caused me to become a lazy person and not strive for improvement in the things I do.

The Accountant in the book chose to isolate himself from the outside world and that is one thing I do not want to happen to me. The past is gone and I cannot reverse it, but the future is in my hands. I want to be a good Accountant, able to balance my time well between work and play, amongst other things.

Entry 3: The Truth about Friendship (Chapter 22 to 24)
The fox explains the truth about friendship, “It’s the time you spend on your rose that makes your rose so important”, and yet people often forget this truth.

I agree with it because I believe it is the time you spend with your family/friends that builds up your relationships with them. A relationship cannot be fostered or strengthened without time spent together. The more time spent with a friend in whatever activities, the closer the bond and the stronger the bond. That way, the bond holds strongly together and nothing can break it apart.

I don’t believe I wrote this. After weeks of posting questions, I finally have an entry that contains a solution! I cannot describe my feeling when I re-read this entry. It is like “woo, I don’t sound like a kid anymore!”

I have a couple of good buddies I used to hang out with for 10 years or so, but we recently drifted apart because we went separate ways in our pursuit of education. I do not remember what sparked us off as friends in the beginning but I know we had many great times together.

This entry made me realize the importance of friendship. A friendship can be easily found, but it is not easy to maintain. A real friendship must go through the test of time. I have decided to treasure the friends and family members I currently have around me. They are God’s blessings to me, and only God knows when He is going to take them away and back into His arms.

In summary, my book-reading experience has been an extremely eventful one. When I started off with the book, I was naïve about life and felt bitter towards grown-ups. As I read on, I became more reflective about life and even set out targets for myself; wanting to balance work and personal time.

Eventually, I understood some difficulties about life and friendship and I have learnt to treasure my loved ones. Friends and family play indispensable roles in my life, and I will never sacrifice them for anything.

It has been a soul-searching and philosophical journey for me. I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the journey, I enjoyed the provocation of thoughts, the mixture of my inner feelings, and the maturing reflections about myself. I wish this journey would never end.

Emily the Chickadee

2009-03-30T15:38:00.001+08:00

Is it possible to fall in love at first sight with a black-capped little bird? Yes, girls and boys fall in love at first sight with puppies and kittens. So why not with a five-inch chickadee?

One spring morning, a little girl looks up a tree and sees a chickadee. The black-capped little bird returns the little girl’s gaze and they know in their hearts that they’ve found a friend in each other.

A true story, Emily the Chickadee is a three-part series about the friendship between a little girl and a black-capped chickadee. Written by Carol Zelaya and illustrated by Kristin Metcalf, the first book is entitled, Emily Waits for Her Family.

Approximately six by six inches, the hard-bound book consists of 32 pages, but the story proper unfolds in ten double spreads. The layout has the text on the left side and the illustration on the right side.

The text is a narrative poem which consists of six to eight lines of verse on each side of every double spread. The lines burst with life, enthusiasm, a sense of expectation, surprise, and joy in the wonders of nature.

Warm and happy shades of green dominate each page of illustration which bleeds into the borderless imagination of children. There are yellows, blues, browns, pinks, purples, and lavenders, but the black-capped chickadee with her white cheeks and brown breast is always in the limelight.

In fact, the nameless girl appears only five times while Emily, the chickadee, appears on every page. Ironically, it is the nameless girl who gives the chickadee a name, Emily.

It seems that the little girl has been a chickadee watcher because she can tell in one look that her new friend Emily is going to lay eggs soon. True enough, Emily starts building a nest the very next morning.

To create suspense, the first-person narrator – the girl – addresses the reader and asks:
“Can you guess where she might be?
Do you see the Chickadee?”

A child reader will surely want to turn the page, right now!

To whet children’s natural curiosity, each stanza, starting with the second double spread, begins with the question, “What do I see?” It certainly reminds one of Eric Carle’s well-loved picture book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

In addition to the visual images, there are auditory ones as well: “Emily sits on the fence chirping happily.” With flowers all over the garden, there are also images which appeal to one’s sense of smell.

What does it all mean? Child readers will probably not be able to articulate the meaning of the story beyond the literal level of witnessing and rejoicing in the wonders of creation.

Hopefully, children everywhere will imbibe values embedded in the story and will share the nameless little girl’s respect for the bird. Unobtrusively, she observes the bird as it builds a nest till its family becomes complete. She never disturbs the chickadee.

Does this book have any weakness?

In the ninth double spread, the picture-text relationship disappoints. The text oozes with suspense and makes for a compelling page turn:
“Another surprise is waiting for me.
The nest is empty… finally.”

But the illustration does not show the empty nest at all. There is no element of surprise in it.

Is there a symbolic or metaphorical level in this book? Again, most children will probably not bother to extend the meaning of this simple, adorable book. But I started to think deeper when my 5-year old granddaughter asked where the birdie daddy-to-be was.

I said he was probably busy working.

I read up on chickadees and learned that the females choose their mates and they remain monogamous. The male chickadee is a hands-on dad who helps build the nest and feed the birdlings.

So where was the birdie daddy-to-be?

Is this book, Emily Waits for Her Family, a metaphor for single mothers? Is the little girl nameless because she represents abandoned children who grow up in orphanages? Is it the reason she never smiles in the pictures although the text is bursting with joy?

Maybe I’m over-reading this simple, adorable little book about the black-capped chickadee who returns the little girl’s gaze and instantly know in their hearts that they’ve found a friend in each other.

Maybe I should read the other two books in the series….

Stephanie Ho and the 'Samsui Girl'

2009-03-08T13:06:00.004+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. – Day 2, February 18, 2009.

Have you ever wanted to be a strong woman? Stephanie Ho, an educator turned historian turned writer-illustrator told us about a real-life strong woman and a girl who wanted some respect from her mother.

Stephanie is also Singaporean like Suchen Christine Lim. But unlike Suchen, Stephanie said she thought she was English when she was young. She went to the US with her parents when she was two.

She hated going back to Singapore and refused accepting her Singaporean heritage and identity for many years. She refused using her Chinese name and insisted on being called ‘Stephanie.’

Ironically, Stephanie majored in history, taught history, then became a museum curator and history researcher. Her professional training has forced her to introspect, to look inside herself as well as her heritage and identity.

While working in the museum, her boss told her to try and make history ‘not too dull’ for the children who’d come to visit for their required learning journeys. And so she started trying to view history from the eyes of children.

Stephanie said that she has always been drawing and sketching even as a student. A self-taught artist, she credits having graduated from the ‘School of Long & Boring Meetings.’ She’d amuse herself by drawing and sketching.

While she was in Australia doing her Ph.D. in Public History, she sent in her manuscript to the First-Time Writers & Illustrators Publishing Grant by the National Book Development Council of Singapore.

Needless to say, Stephanie’s manuscript was chosen and her first picture chapter book was published in 2006. She made an important decision with the publication of her first children’s book. She reclaimed her Chinese identity publicly and used her Chinese name, Lee-Ling Ho.

Putting her professional training as a historian to good use, Lee-Ling’s first book, Samsui Girl, is a historical fiction about Amber, a 10-year old girl, who makes friends with an elderly Samsui woman.

The Samsui women of Singapore are touted as the first feminists who championed equal rights between men and women. They were immigrants from China and have always been fiercely independent.

They worked as laborers in construction sites and proved that they could do what the men could. Most of them remained single. Only very few of them are still alive. It is one of the few elderly Samsui women whom Amber, the Samsui Girl, befriends.

Through their friendship, the life of a Samsui woman unfolds before the eyes of the readers. Through their friendship, Amber learns independence and hard work. The book ends happily with Amber earning her mother’s respect.

Stephanie… oops, Lee-Ling, said some of her friends thought Samsui Girl wouldn’t work because it had no magic. It’s plain historical fiction. But Lee-Ling says the book has been accepted by schoolchildren.

And so Lee-Ling published her second book, Wayang Girl, in 2008. (Wayang is Chinese opera.) She has also been commissioned to write other picture books which champion children’s rights. One of those books is The Boy with a Tree on his Head which exemplifies multiculturalism and racial harmony without being didactic.

Quite appropriately, the second day of the seminar ended with a buffet dinner and cultural show which gave me a glimpse of Malaysia’s history and heritage.

I went to bed thinking that the Samsui Girl has caught her very own star!

Oliver Jeffers: How to Catch a Star

2009-03-08T12:50:00.005+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. – Day 2, February 18, 2009.

Have you ever tried catching a star? Did you get lost while trying? Did you find your way back home?

Have you tried eating books in order to get smart? Would you like to play detective to find out why trees are disappearing from the forest?

Oliver Jeffers, a multi-awarded children’s book writer and illustrator from Northern Ireland, is a brilliant new talent who has written about all of the above.

On the second day of the seminar, he took us on a guided tour inside the picture book process the Jeffers style!

With a degree in visual communication from the University of Ulster, he works as a freelance painter, illustrator, and picture-book maker. Now based in New York, he travels around the world on the wings of art-fueled jet planes.

How to Catch a Star was Jeffers’ debut picture storybook in 2004. Without any trace of arrogance, he said that he sent his manuscript to the top 10 publishers of children’s books. One of them signed him up, pronto!

As a writer and illustrator, he said that he begins with an idea, then sketches something that represents the idea. Sometimes, he sketches a picture, then writes something to describe the picture.

He said he doesn’t begin with a plot outline or a character sketch. He simply follows where the idea takes him by sketching and writing at the same time. He draws and re-draws from different perspectives. He also writes and re-writes. He said that every word matters. One word can change the meaning of an illustration.

He makes it a point to show his work to test audiences. Finally, he shows it to his editor. Being Irish, he sometimes clashes with his American editor because of cultural and linguistic differences.

What’s special about a boy who wants to catch a star? He dreams. He perseveres. He stretches beyond his reach. He never gives up although he seems to be all alone with no one to help him or cheer him up.

In the process of trying to catch his very own star, the boy is shown in magical, humorous, and fantastical moves.

Jeffers’ illustration is simple yet profound. His canvas or page is almost empty. There’s very little text and the illustration is mostly simple figures on a panoramic background.

For example, the first two pages say, “Once there was a boy, and the boy loved stars very much.” The illustration shows the evening sky with four white stars being gazed upon from below by a cartoon-like boy with stick legs.

But Jeffers said that he researches everything meticulously – the sky, the moon, the stars, the sun, light and shadow, ocean waves, trees, sailing, flying, digestion, paper production, printing, etc.

He said he’s been inspired by Shel Silverstein, Quentin Blake, and Eric Carle. Most of all, he always remembers what his Dad has advised him, “Never let the truth get out of your story.”

Granny and Suchen Christine Lim

2009-03-02T12:12:00.003+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. -- 17 February 2009. It was already 5:30 p.m. and yet there was another presentation. I wanted to protest, I wanted to excuse myself, I wanted to sneak into my room, just one floor below the Executive Lounge.

But good manners prevailed over childishness.

“Please wake me up if I snore,” I told my table mate.

Suchen Christine Lim posing graciously with me.

The last speaker on the first day of the seminar was a slender lady with a gentle voice. She was a reserved speaker compared to the flamboyant, expressive, and gregarious Janet Evans of UK.

A Singaporean, she is Suchen Christine Lim. She began by reading a poem of hers from her book, The Lies That Build a Marriage.

The poem’s about a child who doesn’t speak a word of English on her first day in school. The child is bewildered, scared, and lost. Then a teacher reads stories from picture books to the class.
The child is assured by the illustrations and the sound of the words. She doesn’t understand the words but the illustrations open the world of imagination to her. After two years, the child becomes fluent in English.

Suchen Christine Lim closed the book she was reading, then said, “That child was me. My advice to teachers? Keep reading aloud to your pupils even if they don’t seem to understand. One day, they will.”

Suchen said she was number 44 out of 45 pupils when she was in Grades 1 and 2. Then she shot up to number 3 in third grade! Stephen D. Krashen, an American reading advocate, would love to meet Suchen and document her early reading experiences.

However, although Suchen had become an achiever, all was not well. Suchen was soon reading on her own, fluently and critically. She said she was agitated that her Chinese family, culture, and identity were not in the books she read.

The solution? She wrote books about her own people.

She read to us a simple book entitled, Granny, and illustrated by Roy Foo. She wrote it in 1990 for the Ministry of Education of Singapore. It was almost aborted because it was deemed inappropriate for children.

Thank heavens, there’s a tenacious and steadfast child in the slender and soft-spoken Suchen. Surreptitiously, she asked her colleagues to read Granny and to read it to real children.

Her colleagues told her they cried after reading the story. And the children cried after listening to the story. They all cried and they all loved Granny.

Thanks to their honest and courageous tears, the book has lived and has been re-issued this year for official use of the Ministry of Education of Singapore!

What is Granny all about? It’s about a Chinese grandmother and granddaughter in Singapore. They don’t have names, just granny and child.

The book shows the everyday relationship between them. Like every curious child, she asks many ‘why’ and ‘what if’ questions. One day, death snatches Granny away from this curious and adorable child. The book ends with the little girl lying in bed, caressing the quilt her granny had made for her.

Roy Foo’s simple illustration matches Suchen’s simple story. And yet the illustration deepens the impact of the text and honors the elderly as well as the culture of Chinese families in Singapore.

Taken together, Suchen’s text and Roy’s illustration tell a powerful story which score’s a bull’s eye because it goes straight to the readers’ heart. Its simplicity is its strength. There’s no sentimentalism, no mawkish tears. All it offers is innocent grief, quiet acceptance, and loving remembrance.

As I write this article, I cry quiet tears for a child I never met and never will. His name is Julian Carlo Miguel “Amiel” Alcantara, a 10-year old pupil at the Ateneo Grade School in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines.

The present tense in the previous sentence isn’t a grammatical mistake. I am deliberately choosing the present tense.

Amiel’s young life was snuffed out by a van gone berserk in his school’s parking lot last Tuesday, February 24.

Death isn’t an inappropriate subject matter for children’s picture storybooks.

Someday, I wish Amiel’s family, classmates, and friends would be able to read Jenny Angel and Granny. I wish they’d be comforted and healed.

Janet Evans and Jenny Angel

2009-03-02T11:51:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. – Four fabulous days in a fantastical world – the realm of illustrated children’s book!

Janet Evans, vivacious and passionate, showed us the magic door which opened into the world beyond the here and now. It is a world which enchants, entrances, imagines, comforts, heals, and nurtures.

With Janet’s exceptionally animated presentation, the ‘Animating Literature Seminar,’ hosted by the British Council of Malaysia had begun. It was the most incredible seminar I had ever attended with 20 delegates, nine speakers/facilitators, and six seminar staffers.

No, I wasn’t a speaker. I was an ordinary delegate and I felt as if I’d become a child again. The speakers stayed with us the whole time, interacted with us, and joined our workshops.

Janet was the first speaker on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at the Executive Lounge on the 19th floor of Concorde Hotel in downtown Kuala Lumpur. It was a balmy afternoon outside and we had just eaten a lavish buffet lunch.

I had travelled by bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur for five hours on that particular Tuesday. Having left Singapore at 7:30 a.m., I felt very sleepy. But Janet’s presentation was so compelling that it didn’t give me any chance to doze off. She talked about how children read and respond to picture books.

The part I liked best was when she shared with us some of the illustrated books which her pupils in the United Kingdom were reading. She read each of them aloud while holding the books and showing us power point slides.

I was greatly touched by the book Jenny Angel by Margaret Wild and illustrator Anne Spudvilas. It’s about the death of a brother whom Jenny tries very hard to protect. But the inevitable comes to pass. It is incomprehensible. It is a loss and a pain beyond words, beyond pictures.

Author Margaret Wild and illustrator Anne Spudvilas hold the readers' hand and help them come to terms with death through Jenny Angel.

I must say that Janet read the book with so much heart and compassion and humanity. We hushed into the silence of our hearts, cried quietly with Jenny, and hugged her tenderly…

Animating Literature Seminar in Kuala Lumpur

2009-02-21T19:21:00.001+08:00

Would you like to know how to catch a star? Would you like to ride in a paper plane which really flies? Would you like to know who you really are?

Would you like to hug your granny again even if she had gone to where the stars live?

You can do all these through the wonders and marvels of illustrated children's literature! Just imagine...

I attended a 4-day seminar, 17-20 February, sponsored by the British Council of Singapore with a travel grant from the National Institute of Education, NTU, Singapore. It was hosted by the British Council of Malaysia at the posh Concorde Hotel in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Dr. Pornpimon Prasongporn, Thailand; Our Poster of Expectations; Me;
Amyzar Alwi, Malaysia; and Janet Evans, UK

I'll tell you more about it by writing short posts on its highlights. Right now, I'd like to tell you that everything I saw and heard has inspired me immensely. I promise to take good care of this blog which I created to celebrate children's literature!

Cheers!

Gorgy, the Fourth Little Pig

2009-02-02T17:35:00.000+08:00

You all know the three little pigs, don’t you? When my first grandchild, Angelo, was born, one of the first books I read to put him to sleep (because I can’t sing) was that old favorite, The Three Little Pigs.

Angelo was born on April 13, 2001 while I was teaching in Taiwan. He was already 2 ½ months old when we met each other. He already had a boyish, engaging, and gorgeous smile back then. He stole my heart right from the very start. His Mommy and I began calling him “sweetheart” and “gorgeous.”

He wasn’t a crowd-pleaser and he didn’t like strangers fussing about him. However, whenever you’d tell him that he’s a gorgeous baby, he’d perk up and flash his gorgeous smile. And because he loved the picture storybook, The Three Little Pigs, we sometimes called him Gorgy, the fourth little pig.

Back in 2001, I was writing the third edition of the Spoken English series (textbooks used in Philippine elementary schools) for REX Book Store and I needed original stories for children.

One evening, I recalled an observation made by a teacher in one of the teacher training workshops I used to conduct in the Philippines. She said that the physically challenged were virtually nonexistent in children’s literature.

In Taiwan, I had the privilege of having a physically-challenged colleague and friend for the first time. Dr. Josephine Huang is a strong-willed lady who went to the USA alone, then completed a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Georgia.

I knew I had a story. My fingers flew on the keyboard of my laptop the whole evening. At eight o’clock the morning after, I asked an editor-friend, Ms. Dory Pabalate, to look at the laptop screen and listen as I read aloud the story of The Fourth Little Pig. She was sincerely impressed and encouraged me to use the story in the Grade One book of the Spoken English series.

But The Fourth Little Pig was shelved in 2001. My son and daughter-in-law liked it, though. Dr. Josephine Huang liked it, too.

In June 2003, I went home to the Philippines from Taiwan amidst the SARS scare. I observed a self-imposed quarantine alone and away from my family because I didn’t wish to infect anyone if I were a healthy carrier. Alone and contemplating the reality of death, I decided to stop dreaming and start acting.

I’d always fantasized about becoming a publisher, but I always dismissed the thought as fantasy. As soon as the quarantine period was over, I started organizing a family corporation. On August 11, 2003, the SEC Certificate of Incorporation was issued to Panday-Isip Publishing House, Inc.

Annie D. Ant, a story of hope, faith, and love amidst the ravages of a severe drought (El Niño), was launched at the Museo Pambata Children’s Library and Museum, Roxas Boulevard, Manila on November 15, 2003.

Panday-Isip launched its second picture storybook, The Fourth Little Pig, at Robinson’s Place, Imus, Cavite on January 24, 2004.

Who is Gorgy, the fourth little pig? He comes from a family of carpenter pigs in the Philippines. After his three older brother pigs build their own houses, Gorgy wants to build his, too. But the pig village is overcrowded and there is no space for Gorgy. The problem propels the story forward, Gorgy meets Josephine, and the story ends joyfully.

The Fourth Little Pig was illustrated by Beth Parrocha-Doctolero, a member of the Illustrador ng Kabataan (INK) and a veteran freelance artist in the Philippines. Angelo, my grandson, is our resident and unpaid art critic. He was present in most meetings with Beth.

He actually perused the pencil sketches and squealed with delight at details which his parents missed. When Angelo saw the cover of the first color-proof, he said with a wide and gorgeous smile, “Masaya sila!” (“They’re happy!”)

Rooted in the Philippine milieu, the vibrant and richly-detailed illustrations of Beth Parrocha-Doctolero show the bahay-kubo (nipa hut), the wooden house, and the Vigan brick house. (Vigan is a city in North Luzon known for its living museum of 16^th century brick houses. It is a UNESCO World Heritage City.)

What does The Fourth Little Pig mean? Gorgy is an empathetic man. Skilled and goal-oriented, he is also kind, cheerful, industrious, thrifty, creative, resourceful, thoughtful, and considerate. Josephine is a strong , yet vulnerable woman. She is independent, but she does need other people. Assertive, outspoken, and intelligent, she’s also kind, fair, and reasonable. Gorgy and Josephine put interdependence into action.

Using the historical approach, The Fourth Little Pig, can be interpreted as another metaphor. Gorgy is the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who leaves his family behind in search of better opportunities. Josephine’s the symbol of every differently-abled child, man, and woman. One could say that Gorgy rescues Josephine from her dilapidated cottage, but it is Josephine who makes it possible for Gorgy’s dream home to become a reality.

Thus, The Fourth Little Pig is dedicated to:

Children of migrant and Overseas Filipino Workers;

Children with handicaps;

Children with big dreams; and

St. Joseph, the Carpenter, Dreamer, and Builder!

Note: This was originally published by Filam MegaScene in Chicago, Illinois in 2004.

Picture Storybooks

2008-07-16T07:30:00.000+08:00

I loved picture storybooks as a child. I read them to my son as a young mother. I still love them even now that I've already got two grandkids. Yes, I read picture storybooks to them.

Most of all, I learn about new picture storybooks because of them. The latest are The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl which my seven-year old grandson loves. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child is my five-year old granddaughter's choice and she refuses to part with it.

Welcome! Kids' Literature is Fun!

2008-07-16T01:55:00.000+08:00

This is my first post. I'm not a blogging dummy anymore. Yehey!