The BER months are here and that means the holiday season has begun in the Philippines! You can catch a glimpse of the longest holiday season in the world in the September spread of Maribel’s Year, where Maribel’s papa makes traditional Christmas parol lanterns by hand to hang on the doors of all of her titos’ and titas’ homes.
Author Visits 2023-2024
I’m booking in-person and virtual author visits for the 2023-24 school year! To read about the different kinds of presentations I give and to request an author visit at your school or library, read my profile on Authors Out Loud’s website. 🖊️📚
I also just baked pumpkin gluten-free blondies. They came out a touch cakier because of the addition of pumpkin, so I’ll have to sort that out in the next bake. But! They are still delicious! Two secret ingredients I added that I think really takes them over the top: chopped Green & Black white chocolate and a tablespoon of boiled apple cider.
Usually it’s blazing hot here in September, but the weather has strangely taken a turn for the cold and gray. It’s got me thinking of all things fall, of course. I’d love to hear your favorite fall eats and sweets! 🍁
Maribel's Year in Society of Illustrators The Original Art Annual Exhibition 2023
🌟Congratulations to Sarah Gonzales whose art from Maribel’s Year is in this year’s Society of Illustrators The Original Art annual exhibition! 🌟
From Sarah Gonzales —
“Maribel’s Year has been selected to be part of @soi128 The Original Art 43rd Annual Exhibition!!!
Here’s some process behind this starry parol* scene. Pencil sketches, digital colour processing, line art and a bit of inspiration.
*parols are Filipino ornamental star lanterns.
The photos are from my last trip to the Philippines back in 2016. A lot of time was spent travelling by car so most of my photos were snapped through the window. Along the roads the nature was vast and life was in layers.
A home with caged windows and all its tiny details caught my eye — pots, bottles and containers were reused and stacked with plants. From the archives I pulled up one of my studies and redrew it in this spread.
Big thanks to Art Director Dana Fritts and Editor @hellomabel 💛”
Click here to get a behind-the-scenes at Sarah’s creative process for the illustrations in Maribel’s Year.
Free Printable Activity Sheets for Maribel's Year
Learn about the four seasons of the year, color traditional Christmas holiday lanterns called parols from the Philippines and write a letter with Maribel’s special stationery!
Maribel’s Year is a celebration of the special connection between father and daughter that knows no bounds. This evocative, lyrical picture book from author Michelle Sterling and artist Sarah Gonzales recounts the year a little girl and her mother spend in America while waiting for her father to join them from the Philippines.
New country, new school, new friends.
A lot can happen in a single year. But one thing’s for certain: Maribel won’t forget her Papa, even when he’s eight-thousand miles away in the Philippines.
After all, Papa is all around. He is the memory of feeding koi fish in their pond every morning. He is the constellation map as Maribel dreams of showing him her new world. He is the packages and letters sent back and forth.
He is everywhere except the place he’s wanted the most. But the bond between Maribel and Papa transcends oceans. So as the snow melts and turns to rain, as flowers blossom and welcome sun-kissed days, and as the leaves start to change and snow begins to fall once more, can Maribel wait just a little bit longer?
This activity guide for Maribel’s Year was created by Michelle Sterling and Sarah Gonzales for their picture book Maribel’s Year. Click here to download the free printable activity sheets (under the Resources tab).
