Last March 17, we had EDR class at the College of Fine Arts and we were able to meet three inspiring children's book authors - Marie Yvette Concepcion-Alcazar, Maita Songco-Salvador, and Annie Pacaña-Lumbao. I went to class expecting to hear the stories they had written and perhaps have a Q&A portion afterwards. What we experienced was instead something much more hands on and interactive.
Before that day, I had never had the privilege of meeting an author. In my mind I imagined them to be somewhat serious and to have an air of formality. I'm not sure why I was expecting this, especially given that they are children's book authors. Teacher Yvette said it herself - when you think of authors, you think of old men and women long gone before you even get the chance to meet them. It was refreshing to see that not only were all the authors and teachers friends with each other, but that they were also very accommodating and friendly towards us, the class. Maybe being moms and teachers has something to do with this, I'm not sure.
The stories that we read in class were wonderful - When Zero Left Numberland, Letting Sunny Go, But That Won't Wake Me Up, But That Won't Make Me Sleep, and Bog. Among these books I liked But That Won't Make Me Sleep by Teacher Annie the most because it involves not only imagination and fun but the concept of family. The little girl was unable to sleep until she was sure her father was home safe. It's very sweet and light and it really is the perfect bedtime story.
But more than But That Won't Make Me Sleep, I enjoyed the most the new book that Teacher Annie is working on. She showed us the print out of her idea and it was splendid! It was so creative - not just the inspiring story and the beautiful illustrations but also the presentation and format. Teacher Annie herself said, since it is expensive to publish and reproduce pop-up books and other books with unconventional formats, authors and illustrators are challenged to think outside the box and be innovative. I was simply amazed by her work.
What was most striking to me, however, was not even the books themselves but the stories of how the three lovely teachers wrote them and had them published. It was nice to see that there was not one "Eureka!" moment that got the ball rolling and from that point on, everything was a piece of cake. First of all, all three teachers were inspired by their personal experiences. This message speaks to me because it makes me feel like I don't need much to come up with an idea for a story. I can simply draw from my own life. Hearing the stories of Teacher Maita, Teacher Yvette and Teacher Annie made me realize that getting published is really an amazing feat because it is very difficult. The first draft you write will definitely not be the final output that gets printed, bound, reproduced and sold. There will be several changes that you have to make, several things that need to be tweaked. And while that may make you feel a little sad at times because it seems as though your story does not feel so much like your own anymore, it does not mean that your accomplishment is any less impressive. Hearing Teacher Maita, Teacher Yvette and Teacher Annie describe their struggles to create their books gave me hope that one day I too, may be standing in front of an EDR class and telling them all about my story.
I am very grateful to Teacher Hazelle for giving us the opportunity to meet and interact with the three lovely authors. It was an experience I would not have been exposed to had I not taken EDR 121.
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