Recommended Reads: My List of Must Have Children's Books at the MIBF 2019 (Batch 2 of 4)

The Manila Intetnational Book Fair 2019 will open and welcome readers of all ages from all walks of life next week, September 11, 2019. For the next five days, the SMX in Pasay City will host and witness once again the crowds and hoards of people who are eager buyers of books and fans of authors, artists and content creators. MIBF, here we come!

I have my own list of books to buy and booths to visit, of course. I mean to share them with you here in the blog. In August, I posted a list of 

MIBF Must Have Children’s Books. In the next days leading to the MIBF, I will post on the blog my recommendations for parents, teachers, librarians and young readers. So, here we go.

Mang Adong’s Jeepney by Tippy Kintanar; illustrated by Jose Maria Tristan V. Yuvienco. Published by Bookmark, 2018.

A couple of years ago, the news about the Jeepney Phase out disturbed many Filipino commuters, jeepney operators and drivers. The issue affected individuals and communities who own and run jeepney transport businesses as well as, the national consciousness. The jeepney is a symbol of Filipino identity, history and culture. Removing the jeepneys from the streets is like ceasing to be Filipino. 

In Mang Adong’s Jeepney, Kintanar helps us remember the humble beginnings of Salvador Sarao, the man who dared innovate the jeep. This is a story of  a man who changed the transport business and innovated the technology to build one. Man — and woman, love their machines because it is an object of creative expression. The book is part of Bookmark’s Modern Day Heroes series.

Marami Land of the Brave written by Melissa Salva; translated into Maranan by Lawambae Basaula-Lumna; illustrated by Kathleen Sareena Dagum. Bookmark, 2018.

This book is part of the Marawi Book Series, a project of the Gift of Reading Project of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) The goal of the project is to use literature that  heals  and inspires children and  young people who were survivors of the 2017 Marawi conflict. The Bookmark collaborated with PBSP and the Department of Education Marawi to publish the books. 

The author, Melissa Salva, makes use of folk stories and legends that amplify the bravery of the Marawi people. A young boy narrates the stories to his younger brother with hope and belief, that the legacy of the heroes of the Maranao legends live on in the heart and soul of their people. Dagum’s watercolors evoke nostalgia and in some pages, render a tender picture of the loss the boys experienced. I cannot help but take pity on the child narrator and ask myself, what can I do? What can I do to help?

Lakay Billy: Defender of Indigenuos People by Luz B. Maranan; illustrated by Duday Ysabel Maranan. Bookmark, 2018. 

August 9 is Indigenous Peoples Day. This book, Lakay Billy, is a fitting read to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of Philippine indigenous groups. Maranan narrates the life of William Funa-ay Claver, lawyer and elected Igorot delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention and his fight for representation and human rights. A year after, Martial Law was declared. Lakay Billy’s battle becomes more relevant to read and think about in this time and day when fascism and authoritarianism resurges.

Theses are all for now. I will be posting batch 3 of my MIBF Must Haves any day this week. Read and grow, everyone!