Catching Up with 2017!

Hello, Everybody,

Time flew so fast this year!

The Mama, Mama book has been to several places this year but we’ve neglected to update our blog! So here are the highlights to catch you all up, starting from the most recent:

Filipino American International Book Festival

What an honor it was to be part of the 4th Filipino American International Book Festival as part of their panel on children’s book publishing! Not only were there kids who listened to the books being read but there were also several adults who shared their own desire to create their own books. When not in the panel or manning our table, I attended the other panels on other Philippine literature issues and topics, from Philippine biodiversity to OFWs. I got to meet some authors. There were a few I was too shy to approach so I contented myself with just admiring them from afar. Events like this remind me of why we are doing this. We need to be telling our stories! I hope to be back for the next one in 2019 (because this event only happens every two years).

Thank you, Philippine American Writers and Artists for making this happen!

The Alvarado Project Fundraising Event

Although I didn’t make it because I got sick, I mention it here, anyway, because this project deserves a lot of kudos. This project, headed by Ms. Janet Alvarado, celebrates the photography of artist-photographer Ricardo O. Alvarado (1914 – 1976) which allows us to peek into the lives of the Filipino Americans living in San Francisco.

From their site, www.thealvaradoproject.com:

“The exhibition offers a visual tour of the Filipino
communities in San Francisco and the neighboring rural
areas with San Francisco street scenes, the City’s
Farmers’ Market, migrant farmworkers, Filipino-owned
businesses and community hall events during the Post
WWII era. There is an emphasis on the cross-cultural
exchange of gatherings involving the City’s diverse
ethnic communities, African American, Euro-American,
Latin American and Filipino American musicians,
workers and friends, to show that diversity which has
always been a characteristic of the City’s society at large”

Multiculturalism Rock, A Pop-up Shop

This is Nathalie Mvondo’s project which she launched at the International Festival in Davis on October 2. She has brilliantly decided to gather self-published books and books by small presses to sell at small venues and farmer’s markets all over the area. Because it is hard to find these kinds of books in mainstream stores, Nathalie’s Pop-up is such a big help both for the readers and the bookmakers. Thank you, Nathalie!

 

Cesar Chavez Elementary School, 3rd Grade

We went to my son’s second grade class at Cesar Chavez in Davis and shared the book and journey. Once again, the kids were curious and had all sorts of questions, the most pressing one being, “What is your new book about?” The coolest thing about this was that as a way of thanking me, the whole class danced a waltz. I love exchanges like this!

Vallejo Public Library

As part of the Filipino Month celebration, the Vallejo library invited us to read Mama, Mama and to engage with the kids about the book making process.  It was motivating to see Filipino kids show up! This is what it’s all about!!!

Fairyland, Turn The Pages, May 2017

Every year, Fairyland in Oakland gathers the local children’s books authors and illustrators, as well as children’s book readers, for a fun whole day affair on the book making process. This year, we were invited to set up our table and show our stuff!  The kids had all sorts of questions about the bookmaking process. It was also really fun to get to meet other local book makers.  Hope to be part of this again! (But not next year because they require a “new” book to participate. Fingers crossed for the next one in 2019!)

Thank you, Fairyland!

We hope to be out and meet the community some more in the coming months! Please stay tuned. We will try to post updates more often, especially as we start working on our new book. (YES! It’s in the works!)

Nothing but love!

Justine and the Mama, Mama crew