All of us at CBP were deeply saddened by the news that Pilipino poet and activist  Al Robles passed away on May 2nd at the age of 79. Among many other things, Al was the author of Looking for Ifugao Mountain, the first bilingual Tagalog-English story for children published in the US, back in 1977.

Al was an inspiration to generations of artists, storytellers, poets, community advocates, the poor, and the disenfranchised. He will be sorely missed by many; and our thoughts go out to his family.

A celebration of Al’s life and work will take place on Sunday, May 17^th:

Sunday, May 17, 12pm - 5pm
SOMArts Cultural Center
934 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-1414

People are welcome to bring a poem, sing a song, bring an instrument, share a dish, volunteer, speak a few words, or just listen and enjoy, just as Manong Al would have wanted. Volunteers are welcome to help organize, setup/clean up, donate food, perform or perhaps just give a kind word or thought.

Here are two websites that describe and honor Al’s memory and legacy.

http://www.manongalrobles.org

http://pawainc.blogspot.com/2009/05/al-robles-some-online-tributes.html

In Al’s own words, "We still need to struggle with the fire burning in our hearts and in our poetry. Struggle for change, for social change, for the poor, the homeless, the downtrodden, the invisible, for those that are silent.” Al’s words, and his work, will live on for a long time, and we are grateful for his contribution to the work and mission of Children’s Book Press. 

Submitted by Childrens Book Press on Friday, May 15, 2009 11:12am

 The posts just keep on rolling in, highlighting recent titles, some backlist gems - and even a sneak peek at one of our titles for 2010. Some of our titles were recommended in this blog's summer reading list. Quinito Day and Night was recommended for kids age 0-2 years old, and both My Very Own Room and Calling the Doves were recommended for kids age 2-6 years old. Illustrator Angela Dominguez is hard at work creating the paintings for Let Me Help! / ¡Let Me Help!, written by powerhouse Alma Flor Ada and slated for release in April of 2010. She posted a few images from the book as a sneak peek on her blog. Check them out here.

Submitted by Childrens Book Press on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:22am

 The internet can be a wonderful place for a book lover to wander, especially among the amazing community of children's book bloggers out there. In our travels among the virtual stacks, we came across this post highlighting our newest title, Tan to Tamarind. The My World-Mi Mundo blog brims with recommendations about books, poetry, teaching, bilingualism, and more. Check it out! 

Submitted by Childrens Book Press on Monday, May 11, 2009 12:34pm