Jack & Agyu

Author: Justine Villanueva
Illustrated: Lynnor Bontigao

Winner, 2020 Gold Benjamin Franklin Award in the Children’s Picture Book (4-7 years) Category , by the Independent Book Publishers Association .
Winner, Publishing Professionals Network’s 48th Annual Book Show, Children’s Book Category

Imaginative and adventurous Jack is disappointed that he does not see any character like himself in the books he loves to read in the library. With help from his family and his faithful beagle, he meets Agyu, a Filipino folk hero. He goes on an exciting adventure, encountering wondrous creatures such as sirena (mermaid), syokoy (mermen) and diwata (fairies), as he reconnects with the stories of his ancestors from the Philippines.

Illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao, the book is written in English with translations in Binukid (a Bukidnon indigenous language), Bisaya-Cebuano and Filipino. It also features baybayin script, a Tagalog-based ancient script.

About Author
Justine Villanueva was born and raised in Bukidnon, Philippines. She came to the United States when she was 16 years old. She writes about the struggles and triumphs of Filipino immigrants in the United States. She also writes about Bukidnon culture in ginikanan.com so that her two young sons could know more about their Bukidnon roots. When not writing, Justine spends time with her family, teaches dance, and investigates alternative ways of living and being. She lives in Davis, California with her husband and two young boys.

• Publisher: Sawaga River Press
• Published Date: 2019
• Type: Hardcover
• ISBN: 9780996829717