Baklas: Antolohiya ng mga Radikal na Kuwentong Pambata

by Eugene Y. Evasco (Editor), Segundo D. Matias Jr. (Editor), Ivan Reverente (Illustrator)

Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, tinipon ang mga kuwentong nagsisikap na mag-alay ng bago, progresibo, radikal, at malikhaing mensahe para sa mga batang mambabasa. Inaasahan na ang mga akda rito ay magtuturo sa bata tungkol sa hustisyang panlipunan, karapatang pantao, pangangalaga sa kapaligiran, at pagkilala sa mga bayaning nagsusulong ng isang makatao at makatarungang lipunan. Hangad din ng antolohiya na bigyang-kapangyarihan ang mga bata sa pamamagitan ng pagmulat at paggabay sa kanila bilang mga mapanuring mamamayan. Inaanyayahan nito ang mga bata na hindi lamang maging tagatunghay sa mga pangyayari kundi nakikibaka at nakikisulong tungo sa pagbabago.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Eugene Y. Evasco is a writer, editor, translator, and collector of children’s books. He is currently a Full Professor at the UP College of Arts and Letters. Some of his new books at Lampara are Ang Nag-iisa at Natatanging si Onyok, Ang Singsing-Pari sa Pisara, Ang Beybi naming Mamaw, and the Filipino translation of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. In 2014, he won the UP Gawad sa Natatanging Publikasyon sa Filipino (Malikhaing Pagsulat category). He became a part of the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2009 and is currently a Fellow of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. He was accepted as a Research Fellow to the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

Reviews

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to let children understand society is through literature.

When I was in grade school, I remember a story entitled "Ang Kalupi" by Benjamin Pascual. I'll never forget this story not only because it was featured in ABSCBN's children's show Pahina, but also because this story created a huge impact in me when I read it. I felt something I'd never felt before, and I also began to see the world the way I'd never seen it before. That happened while I was still a child.

I am no longer a kid, but reading Baklas: Antolohiya ng mga Radikal na Kwentong Pambata gave me a feeling just like that --- a childlike experience. This collection of radical children stories edited by two of the most renowned writers in our time Sir Eugene Evasco and Sir Segundo Matias, Jr. offers a recipe of quality stories that pierce the heart and strike the mind. Based on my experience, it's rare to have many favorites in an anthology. This one is an exception. Most of the stories here are indeed unforgettable, and each writer gave a momentous narrative.

Looking back, I believe I've read some children's stories from my elementary textbooks that explore themes that are usually taboo at home and in school, but they are not so many. These stories expose realities and bring up issues that confront young minds without being hardcore in terminologies and strict with facts and figures, by presenting a plot that is easy to digest, yet will surely leave a mark to any reader. Through the years, I have not encountered these stories for children anymore. But probably, I just stopped reading those. I'm glad I read this. In Baklas, readers, both young and old, may get a glimpse of how it feels to be marginalized, and how it is even more painful to realize that we share the reasons why these people experience such. Getting to know the characters in each story will make readers place themselves in the shoes of every character and get a feel of how to live in their plight.

Hence, this book is a must-read for teachers, parents, adults, and of course children. This is a book I hope to be available in every library and every home. In a time where the world is full of cruelty, selfishness, and inequality, this book is what our children need to read.

This is my 68th book in 2020.

[Mark Anthony Salvador · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sana may panimula na iba sa panimula ng "Hulagpos" at "Piglas," at ipinaliwanag kung bakit "Baklas" ang pamagat. Pare-parehas ang introduksyon ng tatlong antolohiya.