All About the Philippines: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids

by Gidget Roceles Jimenez, Corazon Dandan-Albano (Illustrator)

Overview

Let 'All About the Philippines' take you on an awesome journey to the lively and colourful country of Mary, Jaime and Ari - first cousins who look completely different from one another but are the best of friends. They'll introduce you to their homes, their schools, their families, favourite places to visit, holidays and more. They'll show you how kids there - just like kids in so many other parts of the world - come from many cultures and have their own traditions, languages and beliefs ... and yet, they are all 100% Filipino. Along with fun facts, you'll learn about the spirit of the Philippines that makes this country and its people wonderfully unique. This is a book for families to enjoy together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804848480
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	02/21/2017
Edition description:	Hardcover with Jacket
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gidget Roceles Jimenez is the author of poetry and non-fiction books for kids, including the popular Can We? science series. She lives in the Philippines with her husband, their three children and their many pets.

Corazon Dandan-Albano is an award-winning children's book illustrator and author. Her picture-poetry book Habulan (Anvil, 2017) received a National Children's Book Award, and All About the Philippines (Tuttle, 2015), which she illustrated, won a Moonbeam Children's Book Gold Award. Kora has created over 50 children's books since 1993. Also a painter, Kora holds a BFA in painting from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Editorial Reviews

"The large format and attractive, cartoonlike illustrations provide an inviting look at a country not often included in many other resources for children." —Kirkus

"This latest offering in Tuttle's All About… series is the strongest yet and much needed." —School Library Journal

"Full-color watercolor illustrations by Dandan-Albano are a perfect complement to the text, brimming with recognizable details and the ebullient colors and liveliness that are hallmarks of Filipino culture. Plenty of hands-on art projects, recipes (all of which will require adult supervision), and activities make this book a truly interactive lesson in geography." —Booklist

"If you are looking to teach your children about one of the most diverse, friendly and fun cultures in the world, then you must get All About The Philippines…" —The Baby Spot Magazine

"The All About Asia series is the children's version of a folklore handbook, a user-friendly encyclopedia, a DIY manual for experiencing an Asian country's culture from a youth's point of view." —AsianFortuneNews.com

"This book would be great for a family to read together—as it has both engaging, but short bursts of content and fun, inviting pictures. All About the Philippines touches on food, holidays, games, and even includes a few recipes." —International Examiner

"One of the nicest aspects of the book is the stress on the different ethnicities all coming together to enrich and form the one country of the Philippines. We talked about how similar this is to our own community where my kids have friends from Japan, Belgium, China and India, who love to play together…Overall, I would highly recommend this book for a colorful and engaging introduction to the Philippines." —Schools 'N More blog

From the Publisher

2015-07-27
Three cousins representing the diverse cultural groups who inhabit the Philippines take readers on a tour of the many islands that make up the archipelago. Mary, Jaime, and Ari are the offspring of three sisters from the Ifugao people of Luzon, but their fathers are of Chinese, Spanish, and Muslim Arab descent. This device lends an artificial, idealized spin to the diversity question, but it gets the job done. No mention is made of the contemporary rise of Muslim separatists, although the section on history notes that the Americans "impos[ed] their style of democratic authority." The emphasis is on cultural activities, including religious holidays, and favorite foods (with recipes for pancit, a noodle dish; polveron, a candy made from powdered milk; and halo-halo, a combination of fruits and beans with ice, sugar, and milk). There are descriptions of games including sipa, which is similar to hacky sack, with directions for making your own sipa, and sungka, also known as mancala in Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately, instructions are not clear enough to really play. The only craft is a modified parol, a Christmas decoration. A creation myth and one song are included, but the book's real strength is the description of activities and life in different parts of the country. The large format and attractive, cartoonlike illustrations provide an inviting look at a country not often included in many other resources for children. (websites, index ) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews