GIRL POWER READS FOR KIDS: FILIPINO EDITION
Stories of resilience and bravery
As I continue to try to provide a sense of normalcy and consistency for my children, who are still stuck at home for over a year now, reading books before bedtime is something we can all rely on.
Books are what my kids always get from me for Christmas. In an attempt to make sense of our little library, I’ve set aside special occasion books to read only during Easter, Halloween and Christmas. In between seasons, whoever finishes dinner first gets dibs on what gets read that evening, but another subset can be made from our collection.
March 8 was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Last year, I wrote about girl power reads that were on our rotation: Jane Goodall, Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr and Eugenie Clark. This year, we’re going local and more relatable.
‘Mang Andoy’s Signs’ by Mailin Paterno, illustrated by Isabel Roxas
An elderly sign maker is tasked by a frazzled mayor to come up with signs to put order to the city’s chaos.
“How then can Mang Andoy create signs that would turn their unruly community into law-abiding citizens?”
The art of persuasion is the lesson unraveled as delicately as this simple, brilliant fable. The drawings bring to life the frenetic metropolis that needs to be tamed by just the rightly worded signs.
While the titular character Mang Andoy is male, it is his granddaughter Luisa who identifies the problem and drives the impetus for change.
Intended or not, it’s similar to how women influence decisions even when they don’t possess the right title. Luisa poses a thought-provoking question for the men who have the power to make things happen in a way that seems as if it was their idea all along.
As a parent, this story is an ever-relevant reminder for both me and my kids that “how you ask is just as important as what you ask for.”
“Mang Andoy’s Signs” won the awards for Best Reads in 2014 and 2015, and the National Children’s Book Awards in 2016. In English and Filipino, for age 5 to 8.
‘Ma-Me-Mi-Mumu!’ by Jomike Tejido
This whimsically written book about Pinoy mamaws won’t frighten the little ones, as the young protagonist Sophia shows how she conquers her fear of them with the help of her trusty sidekick Lolo Nanding.
Having been raised on “Gabi ng Lagim,” “Regal Shocker” and “Pinoy Thriller” as a child, I think this is a much cuter introduction for today’s kids to our uniquely homegrown monsters like the manananggal, siyokoy and tiyanak.
Written and illustrated by National Children’s Book awardee Jomike Tejido, “Ma-MeMi-Mumu!” stars his real-life daughter Sophia. Her doodles are proudly showcased in the back.
Tejido’s words and pictures portray the Filipino supernatural as entertaining, fascinating creatures that kids don’t have to dread. I like how Sophia is shown to be afraid at first, but bravely trudges on anyway to uncover for herself that the unknown isn’t as scary as it seems. Helpful when encouraging my 5-year-old to go to the bathroom by herself at night.
In English and Filipino for age 5 to 8.
‘Cely’s Crocodile: The Art and Story of Araceli Limcaco Dans’ by Gabriela Dans Lee, illustrated by Adrian Panadero
“Cely’s Crocodile” is about the unusual life of famous Filipino painter Araceli Limcaco Dans and how her art saved her and her family during the war.
“When Cely’s father brings home a crocodile, all she wants to do is draw the strange, fascinating reptile lounging in their family’s swimming pool. Her mother says no. ‘Women don’t draw or paint,’ she tells her daughter. But Cely has other plans for herself. Undaunted, she takes her notebooks and pencils out to the garden and starts to draw.”
Written by Cely’s granddaughter Lee, “Cely’s Crocodile” won the Philippine Board on Books for Young People Grand Prize in 2019.
Lee ably retells her grandmother’s impact to the country’s wartime struggles during World War II. Barely a teen, Cely made comic strips for the Huks during the Japanese occupation. At 16, she helped provide for her family when the Americans asked her to draw portraits of themselves to send to their mothers. After the war, National Artist Fernando Amorsolo became her mentor.
A good lesson for the kids is the focus on how Cely was able to nurture her talent and use it to support her country and family. I especially like to highlight her resilience, how she didn’t give up when she wasn’t good at drawing yet and kept practicing. A sweet picture of the real Cely continuing to paint at 90 years old at the end of the book is an awesome reveal.
In English and Filipino for age 5 and up.
All available at tahananbooks.com.