Accordion Book: Little Houses Based on a Book I Illustrated

Danielle Florendo is an illustrator, picture book author, and visual artist based in Baguio City. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, she pursued a career in children’s book and media illustration.
She was one of the key illustrators for the Baybayin LRT Train Project by Turo Guro in 2019 and debuted in children’s picture books with Balitanay’s Laktob by Dr. Analyn Ikin Amores and Renalyn Albert (CordiText Project) and Pong Pong Ginatbong edited by Dr. Felicidad Prudente (Ilaw ng Tahanan Publishing Inc.) in 2020.
Her works have earned both local and international recognition. Maselan ang Tanong ng Batang si Usman (The Tricky Question of Young Usman) by Palanca awardee Doc Luis Gatmaitan (OMFLIT Hiyas Publishing, 2022) was a finalist at the 16th Cardinal Sin Book Awards for Children’s Book Category and received a Finalist Medal at the 1st Severino Reyes Medal in 2024. The Perfect Tree by Glory Moralidad (Oh Kids!) and Ang Bahay na Maraming Klasrum (The House with Many Classrooms) by Eugene Evasco (Johnny and Hansel Publishing) also earned Finalist medals at the 1st Severino Reyes Medal. The Perfect Tree was additionally recognized as a finalist at the 9th National Children’s Book Awards and featured in the 2023 White Ravens Catalogue. Her book A Whale in Prison by Mary Ann Ordinario won the 18th Cardinal Sin Book Award for Children’s Short Story.

Her latest book, Kaub-Ofuden Shin Lijang Uta (The Legend of Uta Cave), a collaboration with the Indigenous People of Balbalan, Kalinga, received the 2024 Translation Grant from the National Book Development Board. It will be featured at the 2025 Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy as part of the Illustrators Exhibition.

Danielle also served as a National Judge and Workshop facilitator for the 2023 and 2024 Gawad Teodora Alonso Story Writing Competition by the Department of Education. She was a Philippine delegate and key speaker at the 2024 Asian Festival for Children’s Content (AFCC) in Singapore, where she delivered multiple lectures on culture-focused children’s books during the Philippines’ Country of Focus showcase. She was the key visual illustrator for the AFCC-Philippine Circle under IBBY-Philippines and one of the lead illustrators for the 2025 Philippine Book Festival under the National Book Development Board. She is currently working as the lead illustrator for the Philippines’ publication materials for the upcoming 2025 Geneva Convention under the Department of Science and Technology–Technology Application and Promotion Institute.

Today, Danielle is a lecturer at the University of the Philippines Baguio. She is an advocate for promoting culture in children’s books and education. When not illustrating or teaching, she pursues research and writes stories inspired by communities across the country.