Wednesday, March 5, 2014

[Blog Tour - Book Review] Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin

Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin (Ikaklit in Our Garden)
ANG IKAKLIT SA AMING HARDIN
(Ikaklit in Our Garden)
By Bernadette Villanueva Neri
Art by CJ De Silva
English Translations by Jennifer Del Rosario-Malonzo
Lay-out by Jennifer Padilla-Quintos
Publikasyong Twamkittens, 2012


Tungkol sa Aklat
Aklat-pambatang tumatalakay sa mga di-kumbensiyunal at di-tradisyunal na pamilya ang Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin (2012). Partikular nitong tinutuunan ang mga hámong hinaharap ng isang batang may dalawang nanay.
LINKS
Panayam sa mga manlilikha (Interview with the Creators)
  • Manunulat (Det). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IHOcloUho0
  • Gumuhit (CJ). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxEVBijAvTc
  • Nagsalin sa Ingles (Ate Jeni). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxKiDUJTxSk
  • Nag-layout (Ate Poti). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHgrzEvcFAo
Video Blurbs
  • Vlad Gonzales (Guro, Kritiko, Manunulat). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdKF9QrQj74
  • Rose Torres-Yu (Guro, Kritiko, Manunulat). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU9VZjx-zDU
  • Poti Padilla-Quintos (Nanay). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGn5kV_5Nc
  • Ging, Rose & Roni (Rainbow Family). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJSLAweBEbc
  • Roni (Batang may dalawang nanay). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Net09DFwbXs
Teaser - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadP76IWbaw

Book Review:

Simple yet timely and engaging – Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin is perfect as a tool to teach children about the value of family, no matter how different it is from the common standard.

When I got invited to participate in the blog tour for Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin, I thought it would be just another typical children’s picture book. Since I have a seven-year old younger brother, I immediately agreed. Little did I know what a gem would it be to read Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin!

The storyline and prose was simple, which is perfect for young readers. My younger brother had no trouble following the Filipino texts, and if he had something to clarify, he would turn to read the English translations included in the book. I really appreciate the English translations because foreign readers would also be able to understand the message which the book conveys. Also, personally, I’m not so good with Filipino. This stems largely due to the fact that I am from Iloilo. The dialect here is different, and the medium of instruction is English. There is hardly any need to speak Filipino, so as much as I hate to admit it, some Filipino words baffle me. This is why when I was reading the book, the English translations were really helpful.

As for the subject of the story, as I’ve said, I find it really timely. And I agree with the message of the story: there is a need for a new definition for the word ‘family’. Considering the emergence of same-sex relationships, not all families are composed of the typical father, mother and children anymore. Besides, no matter how much most people ridicule same-sex relationships, the fact is that they exist, and they are capable of love just as much as any person.

Another thing I really appreciate about the story is the parallelism of a family and a flower garden. It doesn’t really matter who planted the seeds, what matters is who took time and effort to groom, nurture and love the plants and flowers. This message was really powerful and it resonated with me when I was reading the story.

The pictures were really attractive, too. They were colorful and eye-catching, and pretty! My brother and I couldn’t stop looking at the pictures even after we finished reading. When I found out that the illustrator was CJ De Silva, I wasn’t surprised. I recognized here from the milk advertisement from the 90’s, and I found it really nice that she still paints.

All in all, Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin is a gem. It’s both educational and gender-sensitive, and it’s perfect for teaching children about the value of family.

Tungkol sa mga Manlilikha

NAGSULAT

Nagtapos ng MA Filipino: Malikhaing Pagsulat si Bernadette Villanueva Neri sa UP Diliman at BA Mass Communication major in Journalism sa UP Baguio. Kumakatha siya ng mga kuwentong pambata, sanaysay, dula, at maikling kuwentong lesbiyana (na binansagan niyang “naratibô” o naratibo ng mga tibô). Kasalukuyan siyang nagtuturo sa UP Diliman, kasabay ng pagkuha ng duktorado sa Malikhaing Pagsulat sa parehong paaralan. Kasama niya ngayon sa bahay ang limang muning na tulad niya’y mahilig din sa ikaklit at iba pang mga halaman.

GUMUHIT

Si CJ de Silva ay nakilala bilang Promil Kid sa mga commercial nito noong 90s. Ngayon, si CJ naman ang gumagawa ng mga patalastas bilang Art Director sa isang advertising agency. Hilig pa rin niya ang magpinta at gumuhit.




NAGSALIN SA INGLES

Nanay ng dalawang munting binibi si Jennifer del Rosario-Malonzo. Siya ay isang manunulat, editor, mananaliksik, at aktibista. Nag-aral siya ng peryodismo sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas at kasalukuyang nagtatrabaho sa isang internasyunal na organisasyon. Mahilig siya sa tula at potograpiya, at nait matutong maggitara.

NAG-LAYOUT

Si Jennifer T. Padilla-Quintos ay nanay ng dalawang masayahing batang sina Gaby at Joaquin. Isa siyang graphic artist, art teacher at manggagawang pangkultura. Nagtapos siya ng Fine Arts sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman.


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