The Books

Papa’s House, Mama’s House won the 2004 Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) Alfredo Salanga Prize for Children’s Literature Award. It was also a finalist for the 2005 Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Awards – Children’s Literature category. The PBBY is the Philippine National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a world organization founded in Zurich in 1953 that promotes international understanding through children’s books.

It has been included in the list of the Philippines’ best books for children in “The Bookworm Buddy: A Guide to the Best Philippine Children’s Literature,” by Rica Bolipata Santos and Amy Vijaynagar (illustrations by Robert Magnuson; published by Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation Inc., 2006). It is also included in PBBY board member and children’s book reviewer Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz’ list of favorite books for children.

Tight Times won the 2007 PBBY Alfredo Salanga Prize for Children’s Literature Award. This was first featured in Newsbreak’s Christmas 2006 issue, and described as, “this is the second time (the author has) bagged the annual prize in just three years. But the bigger story is that in both occasions, her winning entries tackled serious family issues that parents and traditional educators wouldn’t expect to find—or would refuse to find—in children’s books."

Both books are published by Adarna House, Inc. and are currently open for international licensing and distribution.

My One-Boobed Mamma is currently being published by Living Waters Publishing Company for international distribution and will be available by 2009, at the latest. It was used by the Philippines’ National Book Development Board in its 2007 Illustrators’ Contest.