Filipino Celebrations: A Treasury of Feasts and Festivals

Gr 2-4—This picture book takes a look at birthdays, religious festivals, weddings, fairs, etc. English-Tagalog translations of common or local words are provided. Romulo also touches on the influence of Spain, China, and the U.S. on the island nation and devotes one page to explaining the symbolism of the Philippine flag. The primary focus of the book, however, is on celebrations. Many of the festivals and parades noted would be celebrated mostly by the country's Catholic population, although Romulo does reference some Islamic influence in the Southern islands. It should be noted that not all of the customs would be familiar to or celebrated by all Filipinos. Some of the wedding rituals are likely to be more regional than national. Aside from that, this book is a decent introduction to Philippine culture. The book also includes instructions for a few crafts and games.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

Romulo gives readers an overview of Filipino holidays, festivals, and other celebrations. Events include the Ati-atihan Festival, one of three January events honoring Filipino history and the infant Jesus; Araw ng Kalayaan, the celebration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1946; and Araw ng mga Patay, All Souls' Day. Features of Dandan-Albano's cheerful if generic watercolors are identified with labels and captions (for example, an envelope of "pakimkim" or gift money given as a present at a baptism). Recipes, songs, and instructions to make art projects add to this up-close look into Filipino culture. Ages 6-10. (Mar.)