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Jack & Agyu: Children’s Story Time with Justine Villanueva
August 22, 2020 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT
Join Eastwind Books of Berkeley online for children’s story time featuring a live read-aloud of Filipino children’s book, Jack and Agyu, with author Justine Villanueva.
Jack & Agyu is written in English and includes a translation in Binukid, one of the indigenous languages in Bukidnon, a region in the south of the Philippines. The book also provides translations into Filipino, the national language of the Philippines, and Bisaya-Cebuano, one of the major languages in the Philippines. Additionally, the book features the Baybayin script, a Tagalog based ancient script.
About the book:
Jack & Agyu tells the story of an imaginative and adventurous young boy, Jack, who longs to find himself in the books that he reads. Crushed when he realizes he is different looking from all his favorite book characters, he goes off to right what he feels is wrong. His path leads him to trouble but, also, to healing and empowerment as he reconnects with the stories of his ancestors from the Philippines.
Vibrantly illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao with characters based on Filipino mythology- the sirena (mermaid), syokoy (mermen), and diwata (fairies), to name a few- Jack & Agyu is sure to draw kids into an adventure that is exciting as much as it is self-affirming!
Jack and Agyu is the winner of the 2020 Gold Benjamin Franklin Award in the Children’s Picture Book (4-7 years) Category.
About the Author:
Justine Villanueva traces her ancestral roots to the Bukidnon tribe of Kalasungay, Bukidnon. She is the third child of Julieta Li and Ernesto Villanueva, a fifth child of Filemon Villanueva and Felipa Okit, a descendant of Apu Mansaliwa. Justine’s creative work focuses on decolonization, social justice, and learning to reconnect with the living Earth. She lives in Davis, California with her husband and two young boys. www.justinevillanueva.com
About the Illustrator:
Lynnor Bontigao graduated from the University of the Philippines with a fine arts degree in visual communications. Her love of children’s books began when she joined Ilustrador ng Kabataan (InK, a Philippines-based group of children’s books illustrators). In New York, she worked as a programmer for 15 years but she never forgot her love of drawing. She now pursues her dream of making picture books that both kids and kids at heart will enjoy. Lynnor lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, and one tiny dog. www.lynnorbontigao.com
Autographed copies of Jack & Agyu, along with Villanueva’s first trilingual children’s book Mama, Mama, Do You Know What I Like?, are available for order at www.asiabookcenter.com. Choose to ship your orders to your home or select in-store pick up at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704.