Myra Garces-Bacsal of Gathering Books fame has just written a Personal View for us – “A Delectable Taster of Picture Books from Singapore”:

Ever since the birth of Gathering Books a year ago, I have endeavored to know more about children’s literature in Singapore, the Little Red Dot that is my current home now. When Marjorie emailed me about putting together my Personal View on children’s books in Singapore, I knew I would have a tough time – but an enjoyable one as well. And being the researcher that I am, I headed straight to the library to immerse myself in more and more children’s books written and illustrated by Singaporean authors.

Among the qualities I observed from the variety of picture books that I took pleasure in reading was that most of the narratives (1) are informative; (2) are meant to educate or share some knowledge concerning an individual’s developmental disorder/illness; (3) highlight some environmental issue or societal concern; or (4) provide some random fact about animals, place, or groups of people. Given that Singapore is an excellence-driven society with a high premium on education, this does not surprise me at all. Despite the country’s being a ‘tiny red dot’ on the map, I continue to be amazed at the variety of picture books that are available that so effectively demonstrate the richness of Singapore’s heritage and history.

Head on over to the PaperTigers website to read the rest of Myra’s article, including her selection of picture books… I guarantee that you, like me, will be trying to work out a way to get hold of them! Here’s a delectable taster:

Last year in Singapore a new children’s literature conference was launched: The Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). Organized by the National Book Development Council of Singapore and The Arts House, the mission of the AFCC was (and is) to foster excellence in the creation, production and publication of children’s materials with Asian content in all formats and to facilitate their distribution and access, first in Asia and then to children worldwide. The AFCC noted:

Over a billion children in Asia lack good resources, both for their education and entertainment. Those who have the means and the access, benefit from a wide selection of edutainment material available from the West. Asian material, even those available, is seldom promoted and is therefore left unexplored. Bringing quality Asian content to children is paramount as it would make children aware of Asia’s unique environment and cultural values, promote understanding of, and love for, the literary and visual arts. It will thereby lay the foundation for a good and all-round education. This will benefit parents, teachers, librarians and children in Asia as well as the world.

The inaugural AFCC festival was a huge success with over 400 participants from 17 countries attending, and dates were promptly set for the 2nd AFCC to be held 26 – 28 May 2011. Here at PaperTigers we were eager to attend the 2011 festival, especially when the opportunity arose to conduct an AFCC panel discussion with Tarie Sabido (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal (Gathering Books.org). So on May 23rd I departed Vancouver, Canada and headed to Singapore, brimming with excitement and enthusiasm (and a wee bit of nervousness at the thought of my panel presentation) and eager to take part in all the AFCC had to offer.  I was thrilled at the thought of this opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals all eager to discuss Asian children’s and young adult literature.

This was my first time visiting Singapore and I was immediately struck by how perfect a spot it was to hold a festival that focused on the gathering of people from Pacific Rim and South Asia countries. Singapore’s geographical location has resulted in the the country historically being a gathering spot for people of many ethnicities and religions.  The majority of Singaporeans is of Chinese descent (74% according to the 2009 census); 13.4% are of Malay and 9.2% of Indian descent. There are four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil; and multiple religions are represented. The multicultural flavor of Singapore is represented in the distinct ethnic neighbourhoods – Chinatown, Little India and the Arab Quarter – as well as the large number of religious buildings, some of which have great historical significance. The Singapore government recognizes the importance of racial and religious harmony and, of course, this is something that we all would like to see promoted and reflected in children’s literature.

To be in such a multicultural city and then to have even more cultures represented, as attendees arrived for the AFCC from countries such as Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Japan, Malaysia, USA, and Canada, was truly amazing. Each day of the Festival was jam-packed with activities and it was truly an incredible experience to be surrounded by people from all over the globe who shared such a passion for children’s literature. The venue, The Arts House, an almost-200-year-old building that was Singapore’s first Parliament House, was steeped in history and tradition and was the perfect spot to host the festival.

Needless to say, I took many photographs. As well as those of Singapore shown above, below are some of my favorites from the AFCC itself – and you can see more in an annotated slideshow here. And so, to answer Festival Director Dr. Rama’s question about whether the AFCC can be considered to be the Bologna of Asia, my answer is a resounding YES: and I certainly hope to be able to attend again in 2012!!!

Via Gathering Books

Finally! The event that we have arduously prepared for in the last several weeks is now past and gone. As part of the pre-AFCC (Asian Festival of Children’s Content) festivities, we have just done a panel discussion on “Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0″ featuring yours truly from GatheringBooks, Corinne from Paper Tigers, and Tarie from Asia in the Heart World on the Mind.

We started promptly at 5:30 and ended around 7pm. We had quite a good turnout, nearly around 40 individuals including ourselves (and my daughter and husband, of course). Here are some photos taken from the event:

(L-R): Tarie from Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind; Myra from GatheringBooks, Corinne from Paper Tigers

I was giving the introduction here, I believe

Talking about the History of our Blogs

Essentially, the flow of the discussion centered on several themes/key issues:

The history of our blog: what is the story behind our websites?
What is the kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere?
Networking and Collaboration: How we establish links and networking with authors, publishers, book bloggers, fellow bibliophiles, educators
How do we build a nation of readers via Web 2.0: What is the future of book blogging? How has it evolved through the years, and how do you think it would evolve in the next coming years?

The exchange was truly dynamic, animated, and interactive. We were fortunate to have an audience who was keen to find out more about Web 2.0, blogging, and were sharp enough to point out issues and concerns such as safety on the internet, reviews of e-books, and how exactly can a nation of readers be built through the internet. There was a question raised as to whether we are preaching to the converted, since we essentially build a network of fellow bibliophiles who are connected on the net, anyway. Does it translate to those who may not be within the virtual world?

It is only now, upon reflection, that I realize that there may have been several points that I could have shared which might have escaped me earlier. Regarding the building of a nation of readers, we have pointed out that our websites can be used as a medium through which we can reach more marginalized children coming from disadvantaged communities through outreach programs such as the the one being initiated by PaperTigers and our 1:4:1000 Book Drive where we hope to donate 1000 books to 4 public schools in Samar for our 1st Year Anniversary this June/July.

Over and above the outreach programs we do, I think we may have failed to emphasize that prior to knowing about the kidlitosphere and the YA blogosphere, we were clueless Facebook netizens and Twitter enthusiasts and internet-aficionados who have zero awareness that such a world (kidlitosphere, etc) exist! My own personal take on this is that discovering this world as a bibliophile may be one of my greatest highs in years! Just the knowledge that I can be part of this nation of readers: avid readers, angry readers, animated readers, insightful readers, critical readers [and that there is a platform for a celebration of this sheer geekiness] – is truly a gift – and brings about its own positive vibe and weaves this beautiful synergy among like-minded individuals with similar interests and passion.

Thank you to everyone who attended and dropped by. And to Book Council for organizing everything so seamlessly and beautifully. It is exciting to have Tarie and Corinne here in Singapore. The knowledge that I have several more days to enjoy their vibrant presence (along with so many others who are attending the AFCC) is simply astounding. Looking forward to this day and the next (and the next).

It was a day chock full of amazing presentations and meeting wonderful people. Today promises to be another exciting day and starts soon so for today’s blog post I will just upload some images from yesterday.  Once I return home from Singapore I promise to expand on some of the panel discussions I attended.

The Venue: The Arts House is Singapore’s first court house and former parliament house which is now and an arts and heritage venue.

Keynote speaker Stephen Mooser (USA) delivers the keynote speech “What is the Future of Children’s Publishing”?

Author and literacy advocate Christopher Cheng (Australia) “It Takes Two (or More) to Tango: Collaborating with an Illustrator, Musician, or Animator

(more…)

Today is the day! The Asian Festival of Children’s Content starts in a few hours with the Keynote Speech “What is the Future of Children’s Publishing” by Stephen Mooser (USA). After that the day is jam-packed with events to choose from. I will be attending sessions by Christopher Cheng (Australia), illustrator YangSook Choi (Korea), author Holly Thompson (Japan/USA), Pooja Makhijani (Singapore/USA) and John McKenzie (New Zealand).

Last night’s pre-festival panel discussion that I hosted with Tarie Sabido (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal (Gathering Books) was a success. Over 40 people attended and took part in our discussion Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0: An Introduction to Kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere . Thanks to all those who attended and a special thanks to Tarie and Myra who were such lovely ladies to work with!

The Asian Festival of Children’s Content officially begins tomorrow, May 26^th , at The Arts House in Singapore. However there are two exciting pre-festival events which take place this afternoon:

From 4 – 5:30 pm A Collective Book Launch by Coonoor Kripalani (Singapore). This free event is open to the general public and will include storytelling, games,and a  tea  party at the launch of 3 bilingual children’s books in Hindi and English by Coonoor Kripalani.

From 5.30pm – 7.00pm I will be joining Tarie Sabido (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal (Gathering Books) for our panel discussion Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0: An Introduction to Kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere . If you are in Singapore for the AFCC we hope you will come join us.

I originally “met” Tarie and Myra when I was searching the internet for children’s literature events and discovered their blogs. Tarie and I have been corresponding for almost 2 years now and she was an invaluable help for PaperTigers’ October 2009 issue on Children’s Literature in the Philippines. Myra and I have known each other for a year or so and she has been a wealth of information as well especially with regards to kidlit in Singapore! Blogging is what brought us together and tonight will be the first time we meet in person.  Here at PaperTigers we are celebrating our  4^th Blog-anniversary this week and what better way to celebrate than by taking part in a discussion about blogging and to be meeting with Tarie and Myra in person!

To finish up I’ll leave you with some pics I took yesterday while wandering around Singapore. (more…)

The 2011 Asian Festival of Children’s Content takes place May 26 – 28 at The Arts House in Singapore. This year’s theme, Connecting With Connected Kids, will address an important and timely topic in children’s lit! Of course books remain popular but how is technology changing the world of children’s and YA lit?  As technology puts media access into children’s pockets and bedrooms, how do content makers stay connected with connected kids? Experts from around the world will provide their thoughts on this topic  in the speaker programs and panel discussions.

I am thrilled to announce that on Wed, May 25th I will be joining Tarie Sabido (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal (Gathering Books) in hosting a pre-AFCC panel discussion entitled Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0: An Introduction to Kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere.  Come join us from 5:30 – 7pm at The Arts House and partake in our free discussion.  All are welcome to attend and you can reserve your seat by emailing afcc(at)bookcouncil(dot)sg. If you are already registered for the AFCC, you can officially sign in during our event and avoid the hassle of potential line-ups at the sign-in table on opening day.  All the details are included in the lovely flyer below (click on it to enlarge) which Regina at the Singapore Book Council designed. Hope to see you there!

The National Book Development Council of Singapore has just released more information on activities being held at this year’s Asian Festival of Children’s Content. You will see that the first item noted below is a pre-AFCC panel discussion that I will be doing with Tarie Sabido and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal on May 25th! For those of you attending the 2011 AFCC, plan on kick-starting the event by attending our free discussion. We would love to meet you and have you join! Plus, if you are already registered for the AFCC, you can officially sign in during our event and avoid the hassle of potential line-ups at the sign-in table on opening day.

Highlights at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2011, Sign Up Now!

As part of this exciting festival’s aims to engage, educate and empower children on a global stage through uniquely Asian content, we are offering a Free Panel Discussion on Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0, Specialised Workshops on writing and illustrating, and a Masterclass on Picture Books, led by some of the most accomplished children’s books creators around.

25 May, 5.30pm – 7.00pm
Free Panel Discussion: Building a Nation of Readers via Web 2.0
An Introduction to Kidlitosphere and the YA Blogosphere
by Corinne Robson, Canada (www.papertigers.org), Tarie Sabido, Philippines (http://asiaintheheart.blogspot.com) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal, Singapore (www.gatheringbooks.org)

We know that blogging is the 21st century’s “word-of-mouth marketing”, and it is presently one of the most popular ways to promote a product, but what is Kidlitosphere?

Let us show you how to reach out to your current and prospective readers who are on the Internet. Download event flyer here. Admission is free. To register, email to info@bookcouncil.sg with your name and contact number.

28 May, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Writing Stories for Picture Books (in Mandarin)
by Chen Chih-Yuan, Taiwan

So you want to write a picture book. Stories for young children are usually short and that leads many to think that writing for them is easy. You’ll be in for a surprise as it is even more difficult than writing for adults. Join Chen Chih-Yuan, three-time winner of the prestigious Hsin Yi Picture Book Award, as he shows you how he writes stories for picture books. Download brochure here.

28 May, 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Picture Book Production Workshop (in Malay); Bengkel Menghasilkan Buku Bergambar
by Yusof Gajah, Malaysia & Murti Bunanta, Indonesia

In this workshop, you will have a better idea on producing picture books. Come, learn and expand on your initial efforts into a publishable picture book.Yusof Gajah is a much loved artist from Malaysia who is well known for his iconic elephant paintings, and Dr. Murti Bunanta is children’s literature specialist from Indonesia who has written 50 books for children. Download brochure here.

29 May, 10.00am – 1.00pm
Illustrating Picture Books (in Mandarin)
by Chen Chih-Yuan, Taiwan

Chen Chih-Yuan, renowned picture book writer and illustrator who has books published in various countries; the US, France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, and Korea, will show you practical, creative techniques and solutions to different types of picture books, from wordless to those heavy on text.
Download brochure here.

29 – 30 May, 10.00am – 6.00pm
Masterclass on Picture Books

Join the AFCC 2011’s Masterclass on Picture Books and get this fantastic opportunity to meet Anushka Ravishankar, one of India’s most celebrated children’s authors, Gavin Bishop, New Zealand’s multiple award-winning author and illustrator, and John Mckenzie, the guru in Children’s Literature at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

The Masterclass will take you inside the minds and creative processes of these renowned experts in children’s literature today. Whether you are just beginning the path towards publication, or are already well-established, this Masterclass offers an invaluable guide to the craft of writing and illustrating picture books. Download brochure here.

Sign up early as seats are limited! Also visit www.afcc.com.sg for more information on the Asian Festival of Children’s Content 2011. We hope to see you in May!

It’s not too late to join this year’s Reading the World Challenge if you haven’t already – just take a look at this post for details.

In our family we have all joined together and read picture books set in Mongolia, which is our current focus on PaperTigers. I had to hunt around a bit but we came up with a good selection. I’m not going to go into a great deal of detail here as they are all gathered up in my Personal View, Taking a step into children’s books about Mongolia. We have really enjoyed delving into the culture and heritage of Mongolia and these picture books have been read all together and individually.

One bedtime Older Brother read Horse Song: the Naadam of Mongolia by Ted and Betsy Lewin (Lee and Low, 2008) to Little Brother – quite a long read and they were both engrossed. Watching them from the outside, as it were, I came to an added appreciation of the dynamics of Ted and Betsy’s collaboration, both in the energy of their shared enthusiasm and participation in the events surrounding the famous horse-race, and also of being struck by a busy, crowded scene one page and then giggling at the turn of expression on an individual study’s face the next.

And I’ll just share with you Little Brother’s reaction to Suho’s White Horse, which you can read about in a bit more detail in my Books at Bedtime post earlier this week:

It was a moving story. The governor made me angry because he broke his word and was cruel to Suho and his horse.
[Listening to the musical version played on the Mongolian horsehead fiddle, the morin khuur] Once you know the story, you can tell which part of the music is telling which part of the story. How do they make that music with just two strings? It fills me with awe.

I also read The Horse Boy: A Father’s Miraculous Journey to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson (Viking, 2009), an amazing story of a family’s journey to Mongolia in search of horses and shamans to seek healing for the torments that were gripping their five-year-old autistic son’s life: as Isaacson puts it with great dignity, his “emotional and physical incontinence”. If you have already read this humbling, inspiring book (and even if you haven’t), take a look at this recent interview three years on from their adventurous journey. Now I need to see the film!

And talking of films (which we don’t very often on PaperTigers, but I can’t resist mentioning this one), The Story of the Weeping Camel is a beautiful, gentle film that takes you right to the heart of Mongolian life on the steppe. Who would have thought a documentary film about a camel could be so like watching a fairy tale? Don’t be put off by the subtitles – our boys love this film. Take a look at the trailer -

But now it’s time to leave Mongolia and find out what everyone else has been reading… (more…)

The 2011 Singapore Young Author Award Winners were announced last week! Head on over to Gathering Books to find out more and see photos from the event.