Join the Chinese American Museum and Ms. Rita from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Chinatown branch for a very special Kids’ Storytime event on Thursday, October 8th, at 4pm as we celebrate Filipino American History Month!

For this month’s storytime, we will be joined by children’s book author and Emmy-nominated journalist, Carren Jao, who will be reading her new book The Shape of Love in celebration of Filipino American History Month.

This book is suitable for ages 5-12, though we welcome children of all ages, including parents!

This program is hosted virtually on Zoom. Register today at camla.org/storytime.

**“Kids’ Storytime featuring Asian American Authors” is hosted in partnership with the Chinatown Branch Library. 

About the book:

In Celia’s family, love isn’t shaped like a heart, it’s shaped like a balikbayan box: a treasure chest filled with dreams on the brink of coming true. Although distance keeps Celia’s family apart, she stays close to her loved ones by carefully packing a balikbayan box to send to the Philippines. The perfect sneakers for her basketball-loving son, the latest book in her daughter’s favorite fantasy series, and delicious chocolates for her youngest child—each item is thoughtfully chosen and packed with care.

Through The Shape of Love, Carren Jao celebrates a Filipino tradition that continues to bring families closer across generations and great distances. More than a collection of treasured gifts, the balikbayan box becomes a powerful expression of love—a reminder that love is more than a feeling; it is a promise that endures across time and distance.

About the author:

Carren Jao is an award-winning Chinese Filipina storyteller and Emmy-nominated journalist born and raised in the Philippines. A longtime Angeleno, she is passionate about finding the common threads that connect people across cultures. Her writing is inspired by her own multigenerational immigrant experience and growing up between cultures. Jao is also member of the Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She was named a 2023 PB Rising Star and received Lee & Low’s 2022 New Voices Award. An avid traveler, she has been fortunate to exchange stories with people around the world.

Jao now lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and their two children. She wrote The Shape of Love in celebration of the balikbayan box, inspired by the distinct scent of a freshly opened box and the joyful memories of digging through these cardboard treasure chests filled with gifts from loved ones. 

Learn more at carrenjao.com or follow her on Instagram at @carrenjao. 

About the illustrator:

Corinne Caro is a concept artist and illustrator based in the Philippines who specializes in creating stylized environments for games and animation. Her clients include Yarn Owl Studios, Ankama, Pencilmation, Riyo Games, Sauropod Studio, Bandai Namco, Critical Role, and L99 Games, among others.

For Corinne, The Shape of Love carries a special personal resonance. As a child, she looked forward to receiving balikbayan boxes from relatives working abroad. Those memories continue to inspire her connection to the story and its celebration of love, family, and the enduring Filipino tradition of the balikbayan box.