Written by Christine M. Oriel, Klarize Medenilla, and Malou Bledsoe, this was published in The Asian Journal SF Magazine on December 11, 2019. You can read the whole article here or download the file below.
| asian_journal_sf_magazine_december_11_2019.docx |
Below is the portion regarding my book, Zoobooloo: With Filipino Translation.
NOTE: There are typos on my email address and website url.
For signed copied you can email me at chrissivilla@gmail.com. You can check out Purple Cotton Candy Arts at
www.purplecottoncandyarts.com.
For signed copied you can email me at chrissivilla@gmail.com. You can check out Purple Cotton Candy Arts at
www.purplecottoncandyarts.com.
Written by Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe, this was published in The Asian Journal SF Magazine on April 26, 2019. You can read the whole article here or you can download the file below.
| asian_journal_sf_magazine_april_26_2019.docx |
This is the longer version of Kathy Uyen Nguyen's book review. It was published in FilAm Star (January 21-27, 2016), the newspaper for Filipino in mainstream America.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her classmates and wishes she was more beautiful without those “mud spots” on her face. Molly’s parents were always there to reassure her how beautiful she is and how much they love her for who she is.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Bullying from peers is another subject addressed in the book, in which children can relate to when they learn about the importance of being polite and kind to others around them. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Furthermore, I find that this book can be used as an educational tool when teaching young children how to read and understand facial expressions in order to help them express their emotions effectively. Role-playing this book could be an exciting opportunity for children to express themselves in similar situations.
We can also learn from this book in that words do more harm than good and create negativity in our lives that we do not need or have time for! Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is available to purchase online through Createspace and Amazon. If you want a signed copy of the book, you can purchase it on the author’s website – http://christinevilla.weebly.com .
Christine L. Villa is the author of two other delightful children’s books – The Magic Paintbrush and The Eskalets. Both are also available through Createspace, Amazon, and her website. An award winning poet, her haiku and tanka have been published in various international journals and e-books. You can read her collection of poetry on her blog – blossomrain.blogspot.com.
She is the founder and editor of Frameless Sky (framelesssky.weebly.com), a collaboration of haiku and tanka poets, visual artists, and musicians. When she isn’t writing, one of the things she loves to do is making jewelry. Her unique products are available to purchase on purplecottoncandy.etsy.com.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her classmates and wishes she was more beautiful without those “mud spots” on her face. Molly’s parents were always there to reassure her how beautiful she is and how much they love her for who she is.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Bullying from peers is another subject addressed in the book, in which children can relate to when they learn about the importance of being polite and kind to others around them. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Furthermore, I find that this book can be used as an educational tool when teaching young children how to read and understand facial expressions in order to help them express their emotions effectively. Role-playing this book could be an exciting opportunity for children to express themselves in similar situations.
We can also learn from this book in that words do more harm than good and create negativity in our lives that we do not need or have time for! Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is available to purchase online through Createspace and Amazon. If you want a signed copy of the book, you can purchase it on the author’s website – http://christinevilla.weebly.com .
Christine L. Villa is the author of two other delightful children’s books – The Magic Paintbrush and The Eskalets. Both are also available through Createspace, Amazon, and her website. An award winning poet, her haiku and tanka have been published in various international journals and e-books. You can read her collection of poetry on her blog – blossomrain.blogspot.com.
She is the founder and editor of Frameless Sky (framelesssky.weebly.com), a collaboration of haiku and tanka poets, visual artists, and musicians. When she isn’t writing, one of the things she loves to do is making jewelry. Her unique products are available to purchase on purplecottoncandy.etsy.com.
The article below was published in Philippine News (October 15, 2015), the premiere Filipino-American newspaper in North America. The full issue may be found here.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her peers.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
If you want to purchase a signed copy of Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles and/or Christine's other books, you can visit her at http://christinevilla.com. They are also available at CreateSpace and Amazon.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her peers.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
If you want to purchase a signed copy of Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles and/or Christine's other books, you can visit her at http://christinevilla.com. They are also available at CreateSpace and Amazon.
This was a review written by Kathy Uyen Nguyen from Texas, USA, which was published in Filipino Fiesta (November 28 - December 28, 2014), a Filipino-American newspaper based in Elk Grove.
The Magic Paintbrush by Villa is a genuinely heartwarming story for children of all ages. I had the pleasure of reading Villa's story when it was originally published online via knowonder!, which won the People's Choice Award in 2011. Readers will get a chance to meet a magical paintbrush named Picasso who has genie-like powers to grant Alexa, the female protoganist, three wishes per day. Through her lively painting adventures, Alexa discovers the power she has with Picasso by her side and learns the true meaning of goodness and beauty through her artwork.
In this book, Villa captures the essence of childhood joy and innocence, which serves as a simple reminder to all of us who are artists throughout all walks of life (e.g., poets, writers, musicians, etc.). Furthermore, this book taps into our intentions of doing good in the world through the gifts we are given. Not only this, we are oftentimes faced with obstacles or people like Alexa's best friend, Nikki, who can lead us astray. And then again, when things do go awry, this book teaches us that there is always something we can fall back and rely on as therapy, a form of self-healing and self-reflection to find that silver lining, or in this case, "a sun peeking from the clouds," in the darkest moments of our lives. This book can be used as an educational tool for children as it teaches multiple life lessons in which I only mentioned a few here. Really, the interpretations are endless with this book.
As a yoga teacher who teaches children's yoga, I would say that Villa's book is a great addition to children's literature because I always incorporate and emphasize the values and themes of peace, loving kindness, goodness, adventure, and play, etc. into the games and stories I tell to the kids during yoga classes.
The Magic Paintbrush is written in a clear and concise manner with a simple yet effective storyline for all ages and backgrounds as mentioned earlier. Villa's childlike and vibrant spirit is captured within the pages of this book, and the storyline is enhanced further by the whimsical and adorable (and equally vibrant) illustrations by Kathrina Iris. Both the storyline and illustrations complement each other well.
To conclude, if you are a parent looking for a good book for your little bookworm, I highly recommend Villa's book, The Magic Paintbrush.
The Magic Paintbrush is available to purchase online through Createspace and Amazon. If you want a signed copy of the book, you can purchase it on the author’s website - http://christinevilla.weebly.com On her website, she is also selling The Magic Paintbrush t-shirts, notebooks, and necklaces. These are great ideas as gifts or stocking stuffers for your little ones this Christmas season.
About the Author:
An animated story teller and an artist by nature, Christine L. Villa dabbles in children's writing, short form poetry, and photography. Her first children story is a DVD entitled The Eskalets. The story follows four American robins from birth to first flight, and includes true-to-life photos, video clips, and music background. An award-winning poet, her haiku and haiga (haiku and artwork) have been published in various international journals and e-books. You can read more of her poetry on her blog http://blossomrain.blogspot.com.
She is the founder and editor of Frameless Sky (http://framelesssky.weebly.com), collaboration of haiku and tanka poets, visual artists, and musicians. The premier issue will be available this December.
When she isn’t writing, one of the things she loves to do is making jewelry. Her unique products are available to purchase on Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/PurpleCottonCandy
The Magic Paintbrush by Villa is a genuinely heartwarming story for children of all ages. I had the pleasure of reading Villa's story when it was originally published online via knowonder!, which won the People's Choice Award in 2011. Readers will get a chance to meet a magical paintbrush named Picasso who has genie-like powers to grant Alexa, the female protoganist, three wishes per day. Through her lively painting adventures, Alexa discovers the power she has with Picasso by her side and learns the true meaning of goodness and beauty through her artwork.
In this book, Villa captures the essence of childhood joy and innocence, which serves as a simple reminder to all of us who are artists throughout all walks of life (e.g., poets, writers, musicians, etc.). Furthermore, this book taps into our intentions of doing good in the world through the gifts we are given. Not only this, we are oftentimes faced with obstacles or people like Alexa's best friend, Nikki, who can lead us astray. And then again, when things do go awry, this book teaches us that there is always something we can fall back and rely on as therapy, a form of self-healing and self-reflection to find that silver lining, or in this case, "a sun peeking from the clouds," in the darkest moments of our lives. This book can be used as an educational tool for children as it teaches multiple life lessons in which I only mentioned a few here. Really, the interpretations are endless with this book.
As a yoga teacher who teaches children's yoga, I would say that Villa's book is a great addition to children's literature because I always incorporate and emphasize the values and themes of peace, loving kindness, goodness, adventure, and play, etc. into the games and stories I tell to the kids during yoga classes.
The Magic Paintbrush is written in a clear and concise manner with a simple yet effective storyline for all ages and backgrounds as mentioned earlier. Villa's childlike and vibrant spirit is captured within the pages of this book, and the storyline is enhanced further by the whimsical and adorable (and equally vibrant) illustrations by Kathrina Iris. Both the storyline and illustrations complement each other well.
To conclude, if you are a parent looking for a good book for your little bookworm, I highly recommend Villa's book, The Magic Paintbrush.
The Magic Paintbrush is available to purchase online through Createspace and Amazon. If you want a signed copy of the book, you can purchase it on the author’s website - http://christinevilla.weebly.com On her website, she is also selling The Magic Paintbrush t-shirts, notebooks, and necklaces. These are great ideas as gifts or stocking stuffers for your little ones this Christmas season.
About the Author:
An animated story teller and an artist by nature, Christine L. Villa dabbles in children's writing, short form poetry, and photography. Her first children story is a DVD entitled The Eskalets. The story follows four American robins from birth to first flight, and includes true-to-life photos, video clips, and music background. An award-winning poet, her haiku and haiga (haiku and artwork) have been published in various international journals and e-books. You can read more of her poetry on her blog http://blossomrain.blogspot.com.
She is the founder and editor of Frameless Sky (http://framelesssky.weebly.com), collaboration of haiku and tanka poets, visual artists, and musicians. The premier issue will be available this December.
When she isn’t writing, one of the things she loves to do is making jewelry. Her unique products are available to purchase on Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/PurpleCottonCandy
Let's keep in touch! Contact me at chrissivilla@gmail.com.
