Myra here.
We have just recently launched our new reading theme here at GatheringBooks for July-August.
As I was racking my head on who we could feature for our Diversified theme, a friend from the Philippines came to attend a conference here in Singapore bearing two bags full of books. Then it suddenly hit me like a sledgehammer – this profoundly talented book artist, graphic designer, storyteller-illustrator is the perfect posterboy for our Rainbow Colours of Literature. Like what I mentioned in my Facebook post, he is the most soulful bear of them all.
Meet the Storyteller/ Illustrator Sketchpad: Daniel Palma Tayona
“Daniel Palma Tayona grew up in a tree-lined street in Sampaloc. For his grade and high school years, he studied in a small Catholic parochial school; and for his university studies took up Tourism and Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. After college he spent several years working as a bookstore manager, an art director for an ad agency, editor for a media company, puppeteer, and for a dot.com company that lasted for a year.
In 2005, he joined CANVAS (Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development) and became its creative director. He has designed and illustrated children’s books for the past 17 years. Notable of these books he designed are “Doll Eyes” (it won The National Children’s Book Award for 2012), and “The Rocking Horse” (winner of the 2007 Gintong Aklat Award). He wrote and illustrated “Bugtong, Bugtong 2,” a book of riddles and the life in the day of a dog.
He is also a painter and has had several exhibits to his credit. He now lives with his Chihuahua Summer in the city of Pasay.”
Gathering Books 
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