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Asian Festival of Children’s Content
23–26 May 2024

Illustrations set the tone, the atmosphere, and the mood of a children’s book. As the primal instrument of a children’s book creator, how does an artist convey emotion through movement, space and colour?

Three Filipino illustrators discuss their processes—the good, the bad, and everything in between—in creating empathetic stories for kids.  

storytelling publishing picture book illustration curiosity book development identity spaces editing creativity

Danielle Florendo

Danielle Florendo (Philippines)

Danielle “Dani” Florendo is a Baguio-based exhibiting visual artist and illustrator who specialises in children’s book illustrations. Dani currently holds 12 published titles from notable authors from prominent publishers such as Ilaw ng Tahanan Publishing, OMFLIT Hiyas, Lampara  and the University of the Philippines Baguio under Corditext Project. She has received multiple recognitions as an illustrator including the 2023 International White Ravens Catalogue and the Catholic Mass Media Awards Finalist for The Perfect Tree written by Glory Moralidad, Children's Choice for Doc Luis Gatmaitan's Palanca awardee story Maselan Ang  Tanong ng Batang si Usman (2020) and more.

 

 

Fran Alvarez

Fran Alvarez (Philippines)

Fran Alvarez is an award-winning illustrator from the Philippines. She draws for children’s books, brand projects, and personal experiments using traditional and digital media. Her recognitions include the Ezra Jack Keats Award Illustrator Honor and the ALA Schneider Family Book Award Honour for Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language, the Green Island Award at the Nami Concours for Fishing with Jin, and the Philippine National Children’s Book Award-Best Reads for Hating Kapatid.

Jaime Bauza

Jaime Bauza (Philippines)

Jamie is an illustrator, crafter, and picture book maker from Manila. She has worked on more than a dozen books, including Ang Dangkal ni Matmat (Tahanan Books, 2022) and Magtanim ay Di Biro (Adarna House, 2021) for which she received a National Children’s Book Award. Working with a range of materials, her work is inspired by childhood, nature, and everyday life with her two cats. For more of her work, visit www.jamiebauza.com.

Liza Flores

Liza Flores (Philippines)

Liza is one of the leading children’s book illustrators in the Philippines. Her books, The Secret is in the Soil (2012), and Ang Maliit na Kalabaw (The Tiny Carabao) (2021) have been included in the National Children’s Book Award Best Reads for 2012-2013 and 2020-2021. She mentors illustrators from different countries through Room to Read, an international nonprofit organisation.

Liza also runs Studio Dialogo, a graphic design studio in Manila. She designed the book, KarapatDapat (2018), which was included in The White Ravens list in 2020.

Daniel Lorenzo Mariano

Moderator Daniel Lorenzo Mariano (Philippines)

Daniel works as a Project Development Officer III and OIC Division Chief at the Readership Development Division of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), spearheading flagship reading engagement projects such as the Book Nook Project and the Read for Empowerment and Advancement (READ) Campaign. He revels in writing Filipino creative nonfiction and conducting research in literary criticisms and language studies, particularly in orthography development.

Programme dates and times are subject to change.

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