Saluting Filipino talents in children’s literature on NATIONAL Children’s Book Day

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), in collaboration with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), celebrates National Children’s Book Day (NCBD) this July. This celebration aims to embrace the transformative power of literature to fuel curiosity and ignite imagination among children.

A highlight to this celebration is the awarding event of the prestigious PBBY-Salanga Prize and the PBBY-Alcala Prize, which recognize exemplary works in writing and illustration.

The PBBY-Salanga Prize, named after esteemed journalist and writer Alfredo Navarro Salanga, lauds exceptional story writing that captivates young audiences. This year, it recognizes Eric R. Roxas for his captivating story, “Monina’s Many Moles,” that transcends boundaries and inspires young minds.

Roxas is a picture book and middle grade author writing under the name Benjamin Orion. He won the 2021 #RevPit writing contest for his fantasy middle grade novel, Sampaguita and the Goddess of Lost Things, and was awarded a three-month developmental edit and mentorship under US Literary Agent Hannah VanVels Ausbury. Earlier this year, he was chosen by We Need Diverse Books as one of their 2023 mentees with his contemporary LGBTQIA+ middle grade novel, The Rainbow Diary of a Gravestone Maker’s Son, and was paired with internationally published author Nicole Melleby.

The five honorable mention winners are What Mona Likes, What Lolo Likes by Kim Alexis D. Santiago; Beybi Namin si Lola by Carmela Esguerra-Jose; The Balayong Table by Patricia Marie Grace S. Gomez; Tiny Little Box of Isla by Alleona Marie B. Antido; and May mga Nawawala sa Loob ng Aming Bahay by Genaro R. Gojo Cruz.

On the other hand, illustrator Marcushiro Nada receives the illustrious PBBY-Alcala Prize for his artistry, enriching the world of children’s literature with captivating visuals. The coveted prize, named in honor of National Artist Larry Alcala, celebrates mastery in visual storytelling, awarded to illustrators who skillfully bring children’s stories to life.

Nada has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising from the University of Santo Tomas and has been illustrating books for more than 20 years. He also has been teaching at the College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts since 2011. He is also a recipient of the 2001 Gawad CCP Award for the collaborative 35mm animated short film Movements and is a long-standing member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan.

There are two honorable mention winners: illustrators Gervin Angelo A. Andres from Caloocan City and Elisha Marcela L. Felix from Antipolo City, Rizal. In addition to illustrating, Andres is also a graphic designer, while Felix has a background in stop-motion and experimental animation.

The NCBD celebration and awarding ceremony is scheduled for 16 July, starting at 9:30 a.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater), featuring a musical performance by Ginger Karganilla and Billy Joel del Rosario, composed by Greg Zuniega; an enchanting story-telling session by a Philippine Information Agency puppeteer; and the unveiling of new children’s books. Following the theme “Payapa ang Puso ng Batang Nagbabasa” (Peaceful is the Heart of Children Who Read), NCBD endeavors to foster a love for reading among children while championing the artistry of Filipino children’s literature.

The Payapa Book Fair will be at the basement level of the venue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Books from Aklat Alamid, Aklat Mirasol, Southern Voices Printing Press, Street Tales and Supermaya will be sold at this event.

To join the festivities, a children’s book has to be donated to the registration desk on the day of the event. Registration starts at 9 a.m. For the afternoon program, register through this email ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com.

Inspire the Children of Cavite and Balay-aralan of Muntinlupa will be the recipients of the books donated by the attendees of the event. The gifting will be done during the program.

Observed every third Tuesday of July, the book day commemorates the pioneering publication of Un Mono y Una Tortuga (The Monkey and The Turtle) written by Philippine hero Dr. Jose Rizal.

In the story, the monkey and the turtle find a banana tree floating in the river. Wanting to have the tree for themselves, the two friends decide to cut it in half. The monkey takes the top part with the branches, while the turtle gets the lower half with the roots. The two plant their parts. But soon, the tree of the monkey dies, while the turtle’s tree grows and bears fruits. Seeing the ripe banana fruits, the monkey volunteers to climb the tree and harvest the fruits. Contrary to his promise to give the fruits to the turtle, the monkey starts eating and filling his tummy. The turtle gets angry and inserts thorns and susong-paitan (a kind of snail) on the trunk. As the monkey comes down the tree, the thorns cause him much pain. He soon catches the turtle and decides to punish him. He asked the turtle what punishment he wants — to be crushed in a mortar or throwing to the river. Armed with wit, the turtle replies that he is afraid of the river because he might die from drowning. Noting the fear of the turtle, the monkey throws him into the river. The turtle swims away happily.

A timeless narrative that continues to inspire generations, the children’s story has been told and retold through generations to teach about values and life lessons. There are numerous psychology studies that report the importance of stories to children in experiencing life events and processing their emotions. Human brains, studies show, are programmed to see patterns and perceive sequences, and eventually store these patterns in long-term memory. These long-term memories eventually become the fundamentals of human existence. This is the reason children’s books are effective teaching tools for children.