Tahanan Launches 3 Greek Myths as Bilingual Flipbooks

The Trojan Horse. Odysseus and the Cyclops. Melampus and the Snakes. These three well-loved classics mined from the ancient treasure trove of Greek mythology come alive as splendid bilingual flipbooks just out from Tahanan Books for Young Readers. The three books-retold by Peggy Manuel, vibrantly illustrated by Rita Badilla-Gudi¤o, and translated into Filipino by Rene O. Villanueva-will be launched on Monday, February 5th at Powerbooks (Greenbelt 4) from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M.

The occasion also marks Tahanan's 15th anniversary as one of the country's premier publishers of children's books.

With this series Tahanan introduces an innovative flipbook format designed to showcase a story in two languages. The first half of each 32-page picture book is a dedicated English edition; the last half is flipped upside-down and bears the Filipino edition. Each center spread features trivia gleaned from Greek mythology.

"Bilingual books in the Philippines have traditionally cast two languages on the same page or spread," notes Reni Roxas, publisher of Tahanan Books. "But an educator pointed out to me that in such cases the general tendency is for the reader's eye to stray to the language of familiarity. With the flipbook format, each language stands alone on the page, resulting in less distraction for the reader. Ideally, the outcome is that youngsters learn (English or Filipino) faster."

Tahanan's full-color flipbooks are available singly (P225) and as a set (P675) in all major bookstores. For more information, please contact Frances Ong at 818-2482 or send an email to marketing@tahananbooks.com.