Diwa of Mount Luntian is a children’s picture book that invites readers into the gentle rhythm of an ordinary day.

Set in a quiet, nature-rooted world inspired by Philippine folklore, the story follows Diwa, a young diwata, as she moves through moments of waking, noticing, resting, and returning to herself. Rather than centering conflict or urgency, the book is shaped around steadiness, observation, and the subtle experiences that make up daily life.

The story was written with young children in mind, particularly those in early childhood, when the world is absorbed through sensation, rhythm, and repetition. Color, gesture, sound, and pacing play an important role in how the story unfolds. Each scene is meant to be taken slowly, allowing space for children to feel grounded and safe within the world of the book.

A World Rooted in Folklore and Care

Mount Luntian draws inspiration from classical Filipino folk archetypes, reimagined for present-day readers. In these stories, familiar figures are not framed through fear or warning, but through care, attentiveness, and relationship with the natural world.

Rather than explaining lessons directly, the stories allow meaning to arise through movement, atmosphere, and quiet moments. Nature is not a backdrop but a living presence, offering rhythm, guidance, and reassurance.

Designed for Shared Reading

Diwa of Mount Luntian is intended to be read together. Many families find it works well as part of a daily rhythm, whether in the morning, during a quiet afternoon, or as a bedtime story. The language and pacing encourage pausing, noticing, and conversation, without requiring performance or interpretation.

The book is suitable for children ages 4 to 7, though older children and adults often find comfort in its calm tone and visual detail.

An Ongoing Series

This book is the first in the Mount Luntian series, an illustrated collection centered on gentle storytelling, emotional steadiness, and connection to the natural world. Future titles will introduce additional characters inspired by Filipino folklore, each story exploring different aspects of feeling, movement, and inner awareness.

To accompany the book, a complimentary activity kit is available, offering simple prompts for drawing, observation, and reflection. The activities are designed to extend the reading experience without pressure or expectation, allowing children to engage in their own way.

Diwa of Mount Luntian will be released on March 17, 2026 and will be available through major online book retailers.

Diwa of Mount Luntian is written by Cleodia Martinez and illustrated by Paola Santos. It is published by Midsummer Studio.

Midsummer Studio warmly offers gentle tools of “Quiet Magic for How You Want to Feel.” But what does that actually mean?

When you hear the word magic, what comes to mind? A party trick? Entertainment? Something taboo? A clever illusion?

Here, magic has a different definition:

Magic is simply the movement of energy—a shift from one internal state to another. It’s the subtle, everyday alchemy that changes how you feel, even by one degree.

A surprise song your child sings that instantly softens your mood? Magic.

A scent you love fills the room and your whole body relaxes? Magic.

An inspired creation bringing in easeful income? That, too, is magic.

These moments—big or small—alter the inner world. They shift what is happening inside you from one state to another. And that shift can come from your own actions or from someone else’s care. It can arise internally or be sparked by the world around you. It’s not always something you can explain or definitively source as we’re all one, but either way, this exchange is happening and it’s real.

At the Studio, we believe that tending to the inner world is one of the most magical—and most practical—things a person can do. The inner world is where seeds of our lives are planted. No matter how logical we try to be, everything we choose is ultimately in service of a feeling. Feelings and sensations are the core of the human experience.

We’ve also reached a point in our collective evolution where we recognize that our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being deeply shape the lives we create. These dimensions are what we mean when we speak about the “inner world,” while the physical realm makes up the outer world.

Which brings us to Quiet Magic.

Quiet Magic is a subtle, powerful shift toward the way you long to feel. Beneath every feeling is a desire for connection—connection with yourself, with others, with something steadier and more loving within and around you.

Quiet Magic is the art of bringing intention to your everyday moments. It’s choosing actions, thoughts, and small rituals that nourish your inner world, soothe your nervous system, and create a sense of safety inside your body. From that safety, inspiration and clarity rise naturally.

This isn’t loud, performative magic.
Quiet Magic is gentle, sensory, and alive.
It belongs to all living beings—the subtle ways energy shifts in bodies, hearts, landscapes, and ecosystems.

It shows up as a softened breath.
A warm sip of water.
A grounding pause.
A candle’s glow.
A brief moment of presence that reconnects you with yourself.

Quiet Magic is the language of the inner world—the way we shift, soothe, soften, and reconnect. And from these inner shifts, the outer world begins to rearrange itself in beautiful, surprising ways.

This is the heart of Midsummer Studio: not grand, forceful transformations, but quiet ones—because those are the ones that last.