Book Reviews and Recommended Reads: Light, Love and Revolution in Children's Literature (1 of 3)

February is a such happening month. We celebrate Valentine’s Day, National Arts Month, and the anniversary of People Power. All are reminders that love is not only personal, but creative and civic.

In these five Filipino children’s books, love appears as art made by hand, imagination set free, stories shared in libraries, light held in protest, and people gathered in peaceful unity. This month invites us to see that love can be expressed in creation, in memory, and in collective action and that even our youngest readers are part of that ongoing story.

Sayaw ng mga Ilaw (Dance of the Lights) by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno

Illustrated by Aaron Asis

The story centers on a child’s quest for hope and healing as it references the need to honor history. The narrative connects light with civic memory.

Ang Aklatang Pusa (The Cat Library) by Eugene Evasco

Illustrated by Jared Yokte

A cat works in a library and watches over books and readers. The story highlights the role of libraries as safe and shared spaces. It celebrates reading as a communal experience.

Ang Pambihirang Sombrero by Jose Miguel Tejido

A child discovers a hat that transforms depending on how it is imagined. Each page shows the hat becoming something new through visual interpretation. The book emphasizes imagination as an artistic act.

EDSA: A Counting Book by Russell Molina

Illustrated by Sergio Bumatay III

This counting book introduces children to the events and imagery of the 1986 People Power Revolution. Numbers are paired with scenes of unity and public gathering. It presents history in a format accessible to young readers.

Isang Harding Papel by Augie Rivera

Illustrated by Rommel Joson

A young girl creates a paper garden while scenes of the 1986 People Power movement unfold around her. The story connects personal creativity with a historical moment in the Philippines. It presents art as quiet resistance and remembrance.

#bookreview #phchildrensliterature #artsmonth #valentinesday #peoplepower2026

Companion Reads for the New Year: I Say Thank You and The New Bicycle

Dear Teachers and Parents,

As we welcome the New Year,  I invite you and your young reader to reflect on gratitude and wise choices as foundations for new beginnings. My books, I Say Thank You gently introduces children to the practice of noticing kindness, care, and everyday blessings, helping them develop a habit of appreciation that grounds emotional growth. The New Bicycle, on the one hand, complements this by exploring patience, saving, and responsible decision-making through a child’s realistic and effort. Read together, these books support meaningful conversations at home and in the classroom about values we carry into a new year: thankfulness, self-control, and thoughtful hope.

Companion Reads for the New Year

I Say Thank You introduces young readers to gratitude through everyday moments, showing how noticing small kindnesses builds awareness and care. The book invites children to name what they appreciate in their lives, from people to experiences. It frames gratitude not as obligation, but as a practice that grows gently with habit.

The New Bicycle

The New Bicycle explores the idea of waiting, choosing, and valuing what one works toward. Through a child’s desire for a bicycle, the story introduces basic financial literacy concepts such as saving, prioritizing, and understanding needs versus wants. It emphasizes patience and responsibility without moralizing.

Why They Work as Companion Pieces

Together, these books speak to the New Year as a season of intention:

• Gratitude (what I already have)

• Agency (what I am working toward)

One looks inward with appreciation; the other looks forward with purpose.

Two Short Interactive Activities

My Thank You & My Goal Page (10–15 minutes)

How:

• After reading, ask children to fold a page into two columns.

  • Left: “I say thank you for…”

  • Right: “This year, I am working toward…”

• Younger children may draw; older children can write words or short sentences.

Why it works:
This links gratitude (I Say Thank You) with intentional planning (The New Bicycle), helping children see that appreciation and effort can coexist.

Choice Talk: Today or Later? (5–10 minutes)

How:

• Present a simple scenario: “You want something today, but you can also wait.”

• Ask:

  • What do I already have that I can be thankful for?

  • What happens if I wait? What might I gain?

Why it works:
This reinforces financial literacy ideas from The New Bicycle while grounding decisions in awareness and contentment from I Say Thank You.

Recommended Reads for World Mental Health Day 2023

@titazeeh7 #WorldMentalHealthDay2023 #booktok ♬ Motivation - Study Music

Ms. Zee Recommends: Books to Keep You Reading the Whole Year Through