Veteran journalist and editor Stephanie Zubiri commemorated the launch of her first children’s book, “Chalky the Chameleon,” through a fun afternoon that celebrated love and diversity.
Having started her writing journey at 16, Stephanie Zubiri is a celebrated and seasoned editor and journalist who continues to share authentic stories that her readers can connect to and feel inspired by . Recently, she celebrated the launch of her very first children’s book Chalky the Chameleon through a relaxing and fun party at Vestido Manila in Makati. The event also commemorated the one-year anniversary of Soulful Feasts, Zubiri’s 360-degree wellness platform as a holistic wellness advocate.
Aptly entitled Kaleidoscope: A prism of infinite possibilities, the event highlighted the beauty of living with intention and purpose, as well as accepting one’s most authentic self—in the spirit of the titular protagonist of her book, Chalky the Chameleon, who goes on a journey of self-discovery that represents the experiences of children on the spectrum as part of an autism awareness campaign.
“Today is one big celebration, but it also aims to promote a life of purpose. It’s important to me that I share with the world about Soulful Feasts and its message of Soulful Living,” Zubiri shared during a speech. “I’m also so excited for everyone to dive into the colorful story of Chalky the Chameleon and to spread the word about neurodiversity and the magic that radiates from within! In fact, the story is for everyone, you and old; it’s a journey of self-discovery and a reminder to allow ourselves to shine.”
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Chalky The Chameleon: Celebrating The Vibrancy Of Neurodiversity
Chalky The Chameleon is one in a series of four children’s books, all celebrating neurodiversity. As part of an autism awareness campaign and the publishing arm of Soulful Feasts, the book celebrates children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and is about a little chameleon who has no color. His name is Chalky, and he sets off on a journey to discover the rainbow within himself. The objective of the book is to raise awareness for early detection and early intervention.
The advocacy is a personal one for Zubiri, as her youngest son Max is on the autism spectrum. Thanks to early detection and diagnosis of his condition, as well as the involvement of amazing therapists, he has done a full 180. “Max is a great example for early detection and early intervention,” Zubiri happily expressed. “He firmly advocates for himself and is very proud of his journey.”
For this first installation, Zubiri collaborated with Vico Cham, a talented and multi-awarded artist on the autism spectrum, who filled the book with his endearing illustrations. “Chalky and I have something in common. We are both unique and differently abled,” he explained. “This story reminded me to believe in myself and prove to the world that Chalky and I can achieve our dreams!”
Teamwork and Creativity for a Cause
Design For Tomorrow, headed by CEO and Chief Creative Strategist, Ric Gindap, generously
designed the book, pro bono, and GA Printing, who really believe in the cause, produced a high-quality product and at such an affordable cost.
“Creativity and design are powerful tools to educate, uplift, empower, and inspire. When we first met Stephanie, she spoke with such drive and passion about her advocacy—not just to ignite important conversations on neurodivergence, autism, and ADHD, but also to celebrate and amplify the voices of those who are isolated because they are different or misunderstood,” expressed Gindap. “This was the genesis of the Chalky project—a charming story about acceptance and love. We felt that this kind of initiative needed to be supported, and it was truly a pleasure to collaborate closely with Stephanie on the design and publishing process.”
There are 500 limited-edition hardbound copies, which are being sold at Php 1000. All proceeds of the hardbound edition will support Project Inclusion Network and Best Buddies Philippines and will be used to cover the printing of the softbound copies, which is only going to be sold at Php 250 per book.
Best Buddies, Philippines (BBP) not only creates social events for children on the spectrum, but also neurodivergent persons, including down syndrome individuals, to help them socialize and integrate in this world. Meanwhile, Project Inclusion Network helps find job placements for and promotes inclusivity for neurodivergent and differently abled people.
An Afternoon of Soulful Feasts
Present in the event were Zubiri’s loved ones, participants of her Soulful Feasts workshops and Women’s Circles, her fellow practitioners, friends and influencers in the wellness space, and members of the media, all of whom got to indulge in a pleasant afternoon that placed well-being front and center.
Falling in step with the DNA of Soulful Feasts and the central theme of creating awareness around neurodiversity, healthy and delicious nibbles from Isabel’s were served together with luscious 100% organic, vegan, refined sugar- and gluten-free desserts by Simply Healthy Manila and The Little Spatula.
Lovely pét-nat sparkling natural wines by Some Love Wine were on free-flow. For those who were in need of a mid-afternoon energy-boost, the freshly-brewed coffee and matcha from Fat Seed Café + Roastery were a hit while they shopped Pure Culture beauty products or indulged in a tarot reading by Ana Santiago of Soul Tribe Philippines, oracle readings by Kimi Lu, and Reiki by Erika Siy of Golden Lightcodes and Celine Veloso of HealUrWay.
DJ Honey Love brought the joyful, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic tunes on vinyl and Kisses and Smiles Events by Paula Leido along with Flowers by Ginger created nothing but positive and fun visual vibes.
More to Come
A dedicated storyteller, Zubiri has more titles underway via Soulful Feasts, which is focused on the publishing of meaningful things. The second installation, The Very Clumsy Octopus, about an octopus who has a wonky tentacle is set for release next year. Then there’s The Artsy Fartsy Spider, a story about a spider who has ADHD. And finally, The Bird Who Can’t Sing, celebrates the community who are hard of hearing. Zubiri is also working on a cookbook for next year and a collection of essays.
Chalky the Chameleon is now available for purchase on Shopee. You can grab your copy through bit.ly/chalkythechameleon and via https://ph.shp.ee/se2C8Md. Follow the illustrator of Chalky the Chameleon (#chalkythechameleon) on Instagram @vicosartismgallery.
