Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories: Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales

Gr 2-6–Thirteen tales explain phenomena (why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears; why rain ends wind; how the Philippines arose), endorse values (teamwork, marital loyalty), and support ethics (good vanquishes evil). The retellings are wordy. Some depict violent retribution and bad behavior: a malevolent giant is tortured by his victims; a goddess is lazy, vain, jealous, untruthful, and disloyal. In a “Hansel and Gretel” variant, a father abandons his new stepfamily when his older kids complain of unfair treatment. In another tale, the creator banishes his adolescent flower-goddess daughter for missing an unannounced meeting. One story features a gossiping man who is turned into a rooster. Lively line-and-color paintings are rendered in a naive style (a particular art aesthetic) but are realistic. Cultural details (dress, architecture, flora and fauna) are set against flat backgrounds.