Imagination Fills the Air: Celebrating Craft and Stories for Kindness and Care
By Zarah Gagatiga
School Librarian in Action
This year’s National Children’s Book Day, held on July 15, 2025, invited us to breathe deeply into a theme that felt both timely and timeless: “Imagination Fills the Air.”
The PBBY Board at the Museo Pambata
Hosted at the beloved Museo Pambata, the celebration honored the memory of Dr. Jose Rizal’s The Monkey and the Turtle, first published in Trübner’s Oriental Record in July 1889, an enduring reminder that Philippine children’s literature began with art, storytelling, bold imagination and the desire to leave a legacy through books and reading. After all, Dr. Jose Rizal's intent was for his nephews and nieces to enjoy the tales he retold.
The PBBY proudly awarded the Salanga Prize to Three Thimbles by Patricia Sy Gomez, the Alcala Prize to Tin Javier, and the De Jesus Wordless Book Prize to Rommel E. Joson. These stories and their creators remind us that stories can be powerful tools for healing, if not, remembering. Stories remain our anchors to our ability to wonder and champion justice.
Crafting Stories, Cultivating Imagination: Our July 19 Workshop
Just a few days later, on July 19, I had the privilege of facilitating a bibliotherapy workshop at Museo Pambata as part of the extended NCBD celebration. Titled Reading for Resilience in the Age of AI it brought together aspiring authors, librarians, educators, and cultural workers who believe as I do, that storytelling is both an act of art and an act of service. Books become valuable companions, not just tools, in navigating a world that has become so complex with the rapid rise of technology. Trends and innovations move faster than we can make sense of what is happening. With Developmental Bibliotherapy, we can slow down and accompany young readers in a story where we can all be and become in our own pace and liminal space.
We explored how children's books can shape emotional landscapes, affirm identities, and open difficult conversations about climate, loss, justice and sacred joy. Participants engaged in bibliotherapy-inspired exercises, sharing of their "why" read aloud and story theatre.
The energy in the room was gentle, brave, and hopeful. And perhaps most moving of all were the moments of quiet sharing, when a line, a memory, or a character idea reminded us that children’s books are not just entertainment. They’re anchors. Bridges. Invitations.
Moving Forward
The vibe was further enriched, deepened and expanded by the workshops that followed. Dr. Luis Gatmaitan conducted a story writing workshop that allowed participants to think on their toes, to trust the creative process and tap into perception as avenues of developing craft. With Ivan Reverente, illustrator and INKie, participants had the pleasure of being provided the principles of visual literacy as conceptual anchors to book illustration, design and layout.
We are all full of wonder and hope!
The 52 participants who braved the heavy monsoon rain were stormed with ideas, inspiration, positive influence and a warm welcome from the PBBY into the children's book industry. As we turn the page on this year’s celebration, I carry with me the reminder that stories don’t just fill the air. They fill hearts, rooms, and relationships.
A quarter of the PBBY Board of Officers
Thank you to the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, Museo Pambata, and every author, artist, and reader who continues to imagine a better world into being.
Here’s to the next story. Here’s to the children who will read it. Here’s to the care we pour into every word.
