Three Picture Books from the Philippines

Continuing our Around the World in Picture Books adventure, here are three delightful picture books from the Philippines. They are bilingual books - English and Filipino. These three books are published by Lampara Books.

1. Si Nina sa bayan ng Daldalina = Nina in the town of Daldalina
Author: Aliona Silva
Illustrator: Luisito Chua
Translator: Becky Bravo

​Nina lives in the town Daldalina where everyone likes to talk loudly. It is known as the noisiest town in the whole of Philippines! "If you have a soft voice, perhaps people don't need to hear what you have to say," that was the belief. Unfortunately, Nina does not have a voice. What is she to do? But one day, Nina found her voice - in her drawings - and the town people learned to appreciate her voice. They also learned to stop talking sometimes to listen to people who have weaker voices. 

2. Ang lumang aparador ni lola = Grandmother's antique wardrobe
Author: Genaro R. Gojo Cruz
Illustrator: Jose Miguel "Jomike" Tejido.

There's an antique wardrobe in the house that used to belong to Grandmother. The little girl is convinced there must be a fearsome monster in it. She avoids going near the wardrobe and mother will not let her near it. But one day, mother takes out a beautiful pink dress for her to wear on her birthday. And for Language Week in class, mother got out a Filipino dress for her to wear. 

It was so beautiful and delicate with butterfly embroidery. One day, she plucks up her courage and tries to open the door of the wardrobe but it will not open. She asks her mother who opens it for her - inside the wardrobe are old pictures and many things that have been passed down including many beautiful clothes that her grandmother had sewn which had been worn by her mother and now her. ​

​3. A Lesson from Juana
​Author: Becky Bravo
Illustrator: Jonathan Rañola
 
In the island where Juana lives, little girls are taught to sew and weave while little boys are taught to fish. Unfortunately, Juana is not very good at sewing or weaving. So she asks her father to teach her to fish. Everyone is shocked but her father takes her along for his next fishing trip. Juana learns that the best fish are further away but their little boat cannot reach it safely. Juana feels the wind blowing her hair and she has an idea. She works all night and the next morning, her father's boat has a sail made up from the cloths she had tried to sew. That day, their boat went further and came back with the biggest fish.