8th National Children’s Book Awards
Best Reads 2022-2023
Bum Tiyaya Bum:
Philippine Nursery Rhymes and Verses
Ilaw ng Tahanan, Publisher
Rene O. Villanueva, Writer
Angela Narciso Torres, Translator
Sergio Bumatay III, Illustrator
Bum Tiyaya Bum is a delight to read. It’s the kind of book that stops time for the reader. Every spread is a room that invites you to linger: to recite and repeat the verses out loud or in your head, to savor the multi-layered visual feast it offers.
Sergio Bumatay’s world-class illustrations are both distinctly Filipino and universally charming. Coupled with Auri Asuncion’s brilliant, intuitive book design, this masterpiece is well worth the 25 plus years it took to produce.
Through Bum Tiyaya Bum, TAHANAN reminds and reassures us that the Filipino child deserves nothing but the best — a precious gift to all Filipino readers.
Hanapin ang Sagot: Ano ang Batas Militar?
CANVAS, Publisher
Ergoe Tinio, Writer
Margarita Santos, Writer
Aldy Aguirre, Illustrator
Hanapin ang Sagot: Ano ang Batas Militar? is a nonfiction picture book that traces the rise of a Philippine dictatorship by bringing together snippets from history, including news items, photographs, and official announcements.
The book’s text is framed in a question-and-answer narrative format written by Margarita Santos and Ergoe Tinio. This nonfiction narrative device serves as a walkthrough guide for the readers on the nuances and details of events leading to the declaration of Martial Law. Aldy Aguirre’s powerful images complement the book’s narrative by bringing to focus concepts such as “academic freedom,” “corruption,” “Martial Law,” and offering windows of further understanding for the child reader.
The book is a valuable resource for promoting critical thinking especially in this era of misinformation and attempts to “revise” historical data.
Inip
Adarna House, Publisher
Harry Monzon, Writer & Illustrator
Long bus rides are so boring! . . .
Right . . . ?
Kids can relate to the young boy in Inip. There’s the wait at the bus terminal. Boring! And then the ride itself. Boring! Or is it?
There are interesting sights to see out the window, like a giant chicken and a dog on a motorcycle. Maybe long bus rides aren’t so bad after all.
Through expressive illustrations, Inip transforms a mundane experience into an engaging journey from a bus terminal to a park destination and, more importantly, from boredom and impatience to surprise and delight. This book encourages observation and patience.
Almost no words are needed—there are only seven in the book! We connect with the boy’s experience and shift in emotions through illustration details such as the placement of his hands, the slant or pout of his lips, and the set of his brows. Inip is a testament to the power of visual storytelling and the craftsmanship of Harry Monzon as both illustrator and storyteller.
Wild Song
Anvil, Publisher
Candy Gourlay, Writer
Not many Filipinos may know that in 1904, a world fair was opened in the United States of America and among its exhibits were indigenous people from the Philippines.
Wild Song revolves around this dark period in our history. Narrated by a young woman from Bontoc who finds herself at the cusp of finding her identity in a village steeped in tradition, this narrative gives readers a glimpse into possible reasons why one would be lured into becoming a museum piece in a fair set in a foreign land.
This historical fiction seamlessly juxtaposes the characters’ dilemma between going on an adventure to what is thought to be a land of opportunity vis-a-vis staying in a village that has always been one’s home.
Wild Song deserves to be read by children all over so they could understand, empathize, and hopefully be changed after gaining a more in-depth knowledge of this period in Philippine history.
Kids’ Choice Awards
Alinam 2: Diego Domingo and The Three Thieves
Summit Publishing, Publisher
Mickey Ingles, Writer
Alon and Lila's Last Summer Before Doomsday
Adarna House
Ingrid Valenzuela, Writer
Araw ng Mga Ina
Adarna House
John Patrick Solano, Writer
Kim Santiago, Illustrator
Baby TK
Komiket. Inc.
Kevin Eric Raymundo, Writer and Illustrator
Bee Responsible
Hiyas-OMF Literature
Joyce Piap-Go, Writer
Maria Cristina Sison, Illustrator
Blueplate
The Bookmark, Inc. & Ateneo Center for Educational Learning
Didith T. Rodrigo, Writer
Marianne Salvania, Translator
Joseph G. Dela Cruz, Illustrator
Kalesa
The Bookmark, Inc.
Mari T. Delfin, Writer
Javier T. Delfin, Translator
Julian T. Delfin, Illustrator
Ang Kambal na Maya
The Inteligente Publishing, Inc.
Lydia G. Calipdan, Writer
Kapaa Ko Si Kuya!
The Bookmark, Inc.
Genaro R. Gojo Cruz, Writer
Jaylord S. Losabia, Illustrator
Libing-Isa
Adarna House
Malayo Pa Ang Umaga, Writer and Illustrator
Light Seeker
Hiyas-OMF Literature
Sofia Shalaby Antonio, Writer
Paul Eric Roca, Illustrator
Mga Manikang Papel
Vibal Group, Inc.
Niña Queena C. Amoncio, Writer
Kenneth Justine Alba Licaycay, Illustrator
Mars, May Zombie!
Adarna House
Chuckberry J. Pascual, Writer
Ang Mundo Kong Kahel
Vibal Group, Inc.
Mariel G. Balacuit, Writer
Hareol Noval Tero, Illustrator
The Perfect Tree
Glory Moralidad, Publisher
Glory Moralidad, Writer
Danielle V. Florendo, Publisher
Papasok na Kami ni Nanay sa Paaralan
Johnny and Hansel Publications, Publisher
Genaro R. Gojo Cruz, Writer
Jhucel A. Del Rosario, Illustrator
Stray Cats
Ateneo De Manila University Press, Publisher
Irene Sarmiento, Writer
Super Maya
Maria Elena A. Rodriguez, Publisher
Bambi A. Rodriguez, Writer
Nix M. Ilagan, Illustrator
Super Maya and Her Amazing Ears
Maria Elena A. Rodriguez, Publisher
Bambi A. Rodriguez, Writer
Nix M. Ilagan, lllustrator
A Visual Guide To Philippine Folklore
Vibal Group, Inc, Publisher
Beatriz C. Alegre, Editor
