"Reading takes you places." - Beng Alba Jones

To celebrate National Children’s Book Day, we asked some of our Hiyas authors to answer two simple questions.

These are the answers of Beng Alba, author of Joey and the Gulay Gang, Ang Batang Ayaw Maligo, and several Wow God! books.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF READING?

1. Builds your vocabulary

Did you know that you can say dandy, pleasant, lovely, delightful, or marvelous instead of nice? Awesome, right?

2. Takes you places

Reading is your ticket to go to places like the chocolate factory where you’ll meet Charlie or the gloomy mansion inhabited by the Addams family.

3. Keeps you company

You don’t have to be sad when nobody wants to play with you. Read a book and you’ll soon forget about feeling blue.

WHAT’S THE LATEST CHILDREN’S BOOK YOU’VE READ THAT YOU REALLY LIKED?

Octopus’s Garden by Ringo Starr (yes, that Ringo Starr!), illustrated by Ben Cort.

BENG ALBA loves working with words—whether writing them or editing them. Her works include Ang Batang Ayaw Maligo, Si Joey at ang Gulay Gang, What’s in Jochebed’s Basket?, The Whiny Prophetand Flaming Furnace, Fiery Faith. She blogs at www.bengalba.wordpress.com.