Booktalk, 2007 August 13

August 13 was a delightful surprise.

Nikki and I were all set to start by ourselves when Rosemary, and later Steve, arrived. What followed was another very satisfying Booktalk.

Because the group was small, the discussion was more intense. We got to talk about the books we had in front of us, the books we are reminded of, the books we may or may not write, and many other topics related to children's books, reading, and writing. Not to mention illustrating and book designing. Because we always come to our own Booktalk “armed” with a little pile of children’s books, we have a number of titles that we never got to discuss in depth that evening. That’s perfectly fine with us, we simply save these goodies for the next Booktalk! Here’s a longer and more detailed report from Nikki.

Beaulah Pedregosa Taguiwalo
RA, SCBWI Philasia

Last August 13 we had our monthly booktalk and as often happens, our group was small, comfortable and very, very talkative.

First up for sharing was Beaulah Taguiwalo—illustrator, book designer, and our SCBWI chapter’s Regional Advisor. The book she brought was a beautiful tome—So Much, written by Trish Cooke and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Physically, it was very pretty. The illustrations were done in vivid colors, each one crucial to telling the tale. The story itself was not a conventional one with a beginning, a middle and an end. Rather, it simply told of how the presence of one little baby brings smiles and joy to his parents, extended family, and neighbors. Around the table at the booktalk that night were a son (Steve) and three mothers (Beaulah, Rosemary, and myself) all of whom could relate to the happiness and pleasure of having a baby in the house.

Rosemarie, a librarian par excellence from International School recalled how she often told her students to read not with the mind, not with the eyes, but with the heart. A book such as this with its intriguing title, she said, was ideal for “reading with the heart.”

We went on to a discussion on how children and young people should be allowed to read anything they want and not just those bracketed for their age or grade level. Even if they read “trash,” at least they are reading. Beaulah mentioned a friend who pointed out her magazine stand of “trashy” (meaning, not so highly literary) books and magazines at home. They’re for my reluctant readers, she said. Beaulah said she thinks that’s cool, and that she’s all for it. She said that in her childhood, she was allowed to read everything and anything—at home, and in the school library. She said that she firmly believes that as children grow up, it is best for them to see reading as liberating rather than constricting. She is confident, she said, that in due time children eventually weed out what they do not like and end up making choices about what they really love to read.

Next was Rosemarie Kinjanjui, the head of the Children's Media Center at International School Manila. Normally, when people join our Booktalk without bringing a book, they tend to sit quietly, give a few comments, and generally act as observers. Not so this very voluble and interesting lady. Upon seeing Beaulah’s copy of “Dick and Jane,” she managed to launch, through a series of very pointed questions, a long and rather involved conversation on Philippine identity, history and culture, and whether there is such a thing as quintessentially Filipino. Yes, we were still talking about Dick and Jane—the book and the series—but our thoughts and and our words roamed far and wide.

One interesting thing about Rosemary is that book lover that she obviously is, she is not a book hoarder—unlike Nikki and Beaulah. On the contrary, Rosemary said she can easily let go of the many, many books that come her way, content to just keep a few selected ones nearby.

Steve Lupton was next—teacher, poet and returnee to ourBooktalk after an absence of nearly a year. He brought The Cat in the Hat, not by Dr. Seuss but by Jim Thomas. It is based on the movie, which was based on the book by Dr. Seuss. This was a gift to him, he said, and it is a book that he has not really read yet.

What followed was a discussion of what is perhaps not something new, but an interesting kind of book nevertheless—books which are, it seemed to us, written as a form of merchandising for movies. The copyright for this one did not belong to the author but to Universal Studios, the company that produced the movie. We all agreed that it would be very interesting to know how well this movie-based version of the book sold, compared to the original and very much beloved The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss himself.

Someone asked Steve if he is still actively writing, and he admitted that he is a bit disappointed with the progress of his poetry. We all offered him some words of encouragement and gave him a few tips about submissions and the value of persistence.

Next was me, Nikki—mother, wife, writer, and our SCBWI chapter's Assistant Regional Advisor. The segue from Steve to me was perfect because the book I brought was James Kahn’s Return of the Jedi, based on the famous film. As with Steve’s book, the copyright of this book was also owned by the movie's production company, in this case Lucasfilms Ltd. My tattered and torn copy was one that I picked up at Booksale.

I mention the state of my book because Rosemarie wondered how many people had picked up the book, read it, and appreciated it. This started a talk on sharing books. Beaulah mentioned BookCrossing, a world wide system of putting books down in public areas with the hope that another book lover would pick it up, read it, and pass it on. “The world is my library”—that's the idea, Beaulah said.

Thus ended another second Monday evening, a most satisfying one for us all.

Dominique Garde Torres
ARA, SCBWI Philasia

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