The Picture Book Buzz - PB25 Vibes July 2025

In PB25 Vibes, a group of creators with books launching in 2025, we are all about vibes! Finding that feeling you want to leave with the reader is at the heart of writing a picture book. Our stories are ones that are meant to evoke emotions, and as we drafted our stories, we kept a feeling—a vibe—in mind.

Today, I have the opportunity to chat with an author from the group about her new picture book releasing in July.

Be sure to visit their X/Twitter feed (https://x.com/pb25vibes) for book announcements and writing tips for authors.

Christine Alemshah is a biracial Filipina-American children’s author and classically trained vocalist.

Christine writes children’s picture books championing innovation and celebrating multiculturalism, often with musical or percussive vibes. She hopes readers will see themselves in the stories she writes. Christine studied psychology and music, earning a bachelor of arts degree from Whittier College. When not writing, Christine enjoys singing karaoke and reading with her husband and two daughters under cozy blankets at their Lake Forest, California, home.

Her debut picture book, Bea’s Balikbayan Box Of Treasures, releases August 19^th.

Welcome Christine,

Tell us a little about yourselves. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite book to write?)

I’ve been writing since I was a young girl! First, I wrote and bound my first picture book when I was in 4th grade. My mom is also a writer and inspired me to write longer works, mostly YA Fantasy on my little Mac Classic in the 1990’s. My first love and passion will always be board books and picture books. I love writing for the youngest little readers (and enjoy reading picture books myself as well!)

It's so nice to "meet" you. What helps you to be inspired? (perhaps a certain place, music, activity, etc.)

I’ve always been inspired by my friends & family, music, and the world around me. I especially love imagining vibrant, fantastical, and whimsical worlds. I love to challenge story structure and often liken writing a new story to piecing together a puzzle. I keep a story idea journal and refer to it often!

Manuscripts can indeed be quite the puzzle. What was your inspiration or spark of interest for Bea’s Balikbayan Box Of Treasures? 

The silver thread through all my stories is "connection." I longed to share this honored family tradition with a broader audience. One of the wonderful things I've discovered is that many families and cultures share similar traditions. I love finding the universality that connects us all.

Care packages to far away family members (and friends) is such a special way to stay connected. What do you like to do outdoors - either by yourself or with your family and friends?

I was born on Oahu, so I feel a strong connection to the sea and have never lived further than 20 miles away from the ocean. I love to walk along the shore and dip my feet into the water. I adore searching for shells and sea glass and ponder about all the stories behind the creatures and sea life I find!

I also love singing in naturally acoustic spaces like canyons and caves.

That all sounds heavenly. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?

When I began writing Bea’s story, first and foremost I wanted it to be a celebration of Bea’s Filipino heritage and family traditions. On a broader scale, I really thought about how I wanted to approach the story. I wanted to shine a spotlight on the cherished  balikbayan box tradition with a large audience so the answer to how to accomplish that came from the box itself. I wanted to invite young readers into the experience and decided to tap into the universal appeal of imaginative play. I played with the ideas around “what can a box be?”

I remember some of my fondest memories growing up building a fort maze in my backyard from what felt like dozens of cardboard boxes.  The scene in the middle of the book is reminiscent of one I remember fondly from my own childhood. Even across generations I still observe the joy children have when engaging in imaginative play with a cardboard box. Sometimes when we purchased large toy items for our kids, I recall them having a better time with the box it came in than the toy itself. I loved exploring the idea that no matter where you are in the world you are only limited by your imagination and your box can be whatever you wish.

There is nothing like a large box (or three) to spark imagination and hours of play! Do you have a favorite spread in the book?

Text © Christine Alemshah, 2025. Image © Dream Chen, 2025.

My favorite spread is the one wear Bea is singing in the car with her mom and the parallel scene where her pinsans in the Philippines are singing karaoke.

That is a really fun illustration. I love the subtle hint of the difference in the climates from the US to the Philippines. What is the hardest or most challenging thing about writing Bea’s Balikbayan Box Of Treasures? And what was the most fun?

The most challenging part was making sure I honored the balikbayan tradition with care and authenticity. I shared early versions with friends and family who share Filipino heritage to ensure it resonated truthfully.

The most fun part was writing about Bea’s imaginative cardboard creations and crafting lyrical language to connect with those playful scenes.

I really like the mirror of uses for a cardboard box with her cousins. How many revisions did Bea’s Balikbayan Box Of Treasures take from first draft to publication?

I can’t remember the exact number but to echo the words of Bea’s daddy… Lots and lots and lots!

HA! Good things come to those who keep revising. Who was a favorite/special author, illustrator, and/or your favorite book as a child? 

As a child I enjoyed reading Corduroy, Anne of Green Gables, and The Babysitter’s Club.

I loved these books, too. What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?

My big why as a children’s book author is to nurture lifelong readers and help children see themselves represented in the stories they read. I hope to instill a sense of belonging and wonder.

I think your debut picture book has succeeded in offering both! Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

I'm so grateful to be out on submission with several other stories right now. Some of them share a similar vibe and celebration of heritage with Bea's Balikbayan Box of Treasures. Another is an out-of-the-box, humorous, interactive picture book. Still others are inspired by one of my other passions — music! (I'm a classically trained vocalist turned karaoke singer.) I just revised several projects and sent them off to my Agent. I've also just finished a first draft of a new picture book, which I've sent off to my critique groups.

Best of luck with all of these projects! Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?

I treasure my childhood memories visiting Yosemite National Park. I remember bringing my little camping cup and a pouch of Kool-Aid and taking it up to the soda springs in the Sierra Nevadas, river rafting (and encountering a family of bears!) and driving through the Valley View tunnel. I also love visiting the island of Kauai including the Nepali Coast State Park and Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge.

Thank you, Christine, for sharing with us a bit about yourself and your new book.

To find out more about Christine Alemshah, or to contact her:

Website: https://christinealemshah.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c_alemshah/

Twitter (X): https://x.com/c_alemshah

This is a lyrical and colorful picture book full of imagination, tradition, sharing, and family connection. A wonderful heart-felt treasure. Fun notes at the end offer suggestions for care packages and directions for some of the fun ways Beas and her pinsans used their boxes.

Synopsis:

The story of a Filipina-American girl who packs a box full of treasures for her relatives in the Philippines.

For seven-year-old Bea, a box can be a bear cave, a playhouse, or even a rocket ship. In Bea’s Balikbayan Box of Treasures, Bea’s box has an important destiny. She and her family will fill it up with goodies for their relatives in the Philippines. A balikbayan box is the ultimate international care package and an expression of love for many Filipino families living abroad. Bea and her family spend months gathering and packing surprises. Special food for Tito Rico. Fancy lotion for Tita Alma. For Maribel and the other pinsans, the best treasures of all―bubble wands, chocolates, stuffed animals.

When the package has been shipped, Bea waits patiently for it to arrive overseas―it could take two whole months! Meanwhile, she learns about the balikbayan tradition and how it helps sustain her connection to her far-away family. Finally, Bea’s family gets a video call from Tito Rico, Tita Alma, and Bea’s pinsan, Maribel, and they connect over the excitement of unpacking the box.

Key Features

• Introduces the important Filipino tradition of “balikbayan box” care packages

• Tells the story of a Filipina-American girl who learns to embrace her heritage and family activities

• Encourages connection with family living overseas for families who have immigrated

• Alongside Bea, young readers can discover a sense of belonging, practice empathy, and build self-awareness.