Tintin Bersola asks kids to read

MANILA, Philippines - Get Caught Reading Campaign is happy to have Christine “Tintin” Bersola-Babao among its celebrity reading advocates. “I fell in love with the children’s book of dolls of the world which Mama bought,” Tintin says. “I enjoyed looking at the dolls in various colorful costumes and ever since books of various colors and sizes became my companions.”

She giggles as she recalls how from children’s books she then turned to books like the Sweet Valley High series, Nancy Drew, Choose Your Own Adventure, Hardy Boys, and the Amelia Peabody series. These she describes as “delicious and a fun read.”

She also enjoyed Archie comic books, and even started a small business, lending them to classmates for a small fee.

As an adult, she read Joel Osteen’s books and Mitch Albom’s books especially Tuesdays with Morrie and For One More Day because they taught her to treasure every moment of life.

With her marriage to Julius Babao and the birth of their daughter Antonia Sofia Julia, Tintin decided to write her own children’s books to leave a lasting legacy to Anya and her future siblings.

Her first book Bryan Learns His Lesson, written when Anya was still in her womb and illustrated by Julius, tells of the story of the boy who realized the hard way how lucky he is. Basura Monster, illustrated by Cedric Ryan de Guzman, educates the youth to care for the environment. The Story of Christine reflects Tintin’s own experiences in finding her identity and how she coped with her insecurities as a girl. For this book, she received a special citation from the Catholic Mass Media Awards.

Her latest book Bakit Siya Meron? Bakit Ako, Wala? brings the message of the Christ Child to its young readers by showing how one can go beyond material things and learn to count life’s blessings. Tintin’s children’s books are published by Katha, the publishing arm of Goodwill Bookstore.