Jalal and the Lake author, Hannah Usman, and publisher, Christina Buhain Newhard (Sari-Sari Storybooks) discuss the creation of this magical Muslim Filipino fairytale and the importance of diverse Filipino stories. The discussion will be moderated by the SFPL Filipino American Center librarian, Abraham Ignacio, with time at the end for audience Q&A.

When strange men come to young Jalal’s village, they offer him a bargain—the clouds he craves, in exchange for polluting his people’s lake. In this timely tale of environmental protection, young readers experience the culture of the Meranaw in the Southern Philippines and learn about good leadership.

Hannah Usman is a Muslim-Filipina lawyer who grew up in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. She earned her BA in English at Mindanao State University-Marawi, and her JD degree from Jose Maria College of Law, Davao City. As a proud Meranaw, she wants to share the richness of her culture and tradition through fiction. Peace and environmental awareness are her advocacies, which she believes are rooted in understanding culture and tradition. She loves Korean reality shows, coffee shop hopping, oat milk lattes, noodles, ice cream, visiting museums, and reading. Jalal and the Lake is her first book.

Christina Newhard is a designer, writer, and publisher. Her fascination with books began when she was 5 years old. Born in Manila to a Tagalog mother and American father, she moved to the U.S. at the age of 10, but always holds the Philippines in her heart. A love for text, image, and story moved her to pursue a career in graphic design. In asking the question, “how can design strengthen Filipino culture in a meaningful way?” her children's press, Sari-Sari Storybooks was born. The press has published five bilingual titles in Ivatan, Cebuano, Chavacano, Waray, and Meranaw, and received positive coverage from the Nerds of Color, The Seattle Review of Books, Smart Parenting PH, The Aswang Project, The Fil-Am, The Inquirer, and Asia Pacific Forum on WBAI. A former New Yorker, Christina now lives in Oakland with a tiny, vocal cat named Princess Genghis. She is most at home in a city by the water.

Connect:

Christina Buhain Newhard - Website |  Sari-Sari Storybooks - Website

Co-sponsored by the Filipino American Center at the San Francisco Public Library, Sari-Sari Storybooks, and Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA).