“My Big Sister Can See Dragons” and “The Triangle Man and the Flightless Diwata”

Liza Flores interprets the story “My Big Sister Can See Dragons” written by Rocky Sanchez Tirona, as Dex Fernandez creates the imagery for Kate Osias’ “The Triangle Man and the Flightless Diwata.” The exhibit is in partnership with CANVAS. The exhibit runs from April 15 to 29, 2015, with an opening on April 15 at 4pm.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/906760739366487/

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Two books, each born from two different CANVAS competitions, and brought to life by the collaboration of two pairs of young Filipino writers and artists.

The first comes from CANVAS’ (The Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development) flagship initiative, the Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition.

It began with an artwork by Dex Fernandez – a contest piece – that contained the seeds of a story. Filipino writers here and abroad were then challenged to pen the story they saw in that artwork; and after CANVAS and a panel of judges selected the winning piece, it was given to Dex to be interpreted scene by scene.

The result is a full-color children’s book, The Triangle Man and the Flightless Diwata, written by Kate Osias, the 10^th Romeo Forbes Story-Writing Competition awardee.

Using photographs, paint, and thread, Dex illustrates a fantasy world of a misfitting triangle-headed man and an earthbound fairy whose friendship is brought about by the same difference – they are outcasts who find and can turn only to each other.

The second book, My Big Sister Can See Dragons by Rocky Sanchez Tirona, was also a winner of a CANVAS-initiated competition in 2008, in partnership with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. The idea was to create opportunities for Filipino writers to tap into, and learn more about the global market.

Five short-listed entries were reviewed and critiqued by Kelly Sonnack, a literary agent who specializes in all types of children’s literature (picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels). In picture books and middle grade fiction, she looks for a good sense of humor, stories that stretch a young reader’s imagination, and an authentic voice. My Big Sister Can See Dragons was her favorite.

“It highlights a very true feeling and experience that children have,” she says. “This relationship between siblings, and the difference in imagination is a brilliant topic for a children’s story.”

And now, with scissors gliding through paper to create shapes and tableaus of little girls and dragons, Liza Flores takes us into the minds of siblings Gaby and Marty, and artfully tells a universal story of a big sister and little sister sharing a room and some pretty wild imagination.