The pleasure in realizing that you’ve been missing out on something absolutely wonderful usually comes when you close a book, sniffling back tears from the leaky teapot that is now your face. 

I had been hearing about Tori Tadiar for the longest time, as the bookish community was abuzz with joy and pride at her being the first Filipina artist whose work was picked by Disney-Hyperion. 

“Twinkle, Twinkle” was a 2021 graphic novella purchased from a previous Komiket fair, read only now during the holidays. At only 124 pages, it managed to touch this reader to the quick with its glorious art and above all, its heartwarming story. 

The repeated title bears two meanings: it’s about fraternal twins Alta and Signa who struggle to survive in the streets of prewar Escolta, Manila. When their older sister Hanan returns, the twins are swept up in their ate’s dizzying rise to superstardom as the best singer/actress in town, with dark consequences that threaten their combined light. 

The best children’s stories are the ones that hold deep meaning for adults as well, which is true for this lovely book. I was utterly besotted with the Art Deco illustrations featuring real gems of architecture like the Manila Metropolitan Theater and the tranvias along the Manila Hotel. I stared for several minutes at the panel with the Crystal Arcade, and the illustrations of the characters that captured their souls so accurately. The villain oozed seductive menace, and the protagonists were a delightful mix of impish charm and childish innocence.

Tadiar’s skill as both storyteller and artist is evident in how quickly she made the reader care for the characters. In the first two pages, she quickly sets the scene: we’re in a darkened cinema, where the twins overhear a patron trash talk the actress onscreen: their long-dead mother. “It’s the only way we get to see Mom. I can’t remember what her voice sounds like anymore,” says Signa. Cue heartbreak, and it’s only page nine.

Turn the page, and we are now outside the brightly-lit Capitol Theater, with Escolta’s street lights illuminating the night sky almost as brightly as the stars.

Almost.

Stars in Tadiar’s story are real and powerful. Some gifted people can see them, while others become vessels for their light.

What follows is an inspiring tale of overcoming tragedy, Shakespearean in emotional depth with its conflicts that pit brother against sister, yet told in language and art that even children can understand.

How to tell stories that matter? This radiant book shows us how, with its wholehearted simplicity, illustrated with such care and artistry that no AI can match.

I closed the book profoundly moved, grateful at the reminder that even when loved ones have ascended to the heavens to become stars, we can still smile and be joyful because they have passed on their light to us. Tadiar reminds us that light is love, and that the whole point of living is to pass on the radiance that lit up our souls to others. 

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TWINKLE, TWINKLE is available for purchase for P600 from Komiket and Shopee.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Gabi Francisco is a classically trained soprano who now performs in the English / Music / Drama classroom. On weekends she soaks in as much art and literature as she can, so she can pass her love for the arts on to her students. She passionately believes in the transformative role of arts education in nation-building. (IG: teacher.gabi.reads )