It’s August, which means a whole host of things. For starters, it means we’re more than halfway through the year and also inching closer to the “Ber” months. It also means that it’s now the “Buwan ng Wika”! So, it’s the month wherein we give extra attention to our native tongue and as well as the rich culture that comes with it.
Buwan ng Wika is something that many of your children’s schools put in extra effort for. After all, it’s good to teach them to appreciate the wonderful things about their native tongue and take pride in it. However, school isn’t the only place your children can learn to appreciate our national language. Home is another place where they can learn to appreciate it.
Of course, you may wonder how you can do this. Fortunately, it isn’t that much of a difficult task. It can be as simple as exposing your child to some books that our country’s local authors have written. There are several stories, both long and short, that are worth appreciating and exposing your children to. What’s more, they can also be something that’s easy for them to understand–something that may apply for those of you with younger children.
In this article, we’ll give you a few books that you can let your children read, read to them, or read with them this Buwan ng Wika. Whatever the case, you can at least be assured that these are great reads and something that your child will enjoy (and maybe you will too). What’s more, some of these books are ones we got at edamama!
Alamat ng Ampalaya (Legend of the Bitter Gourd)
In line with fables, one very popular fable would be that of how the ampalaya (or bitter gourd) came to be. It’s a story that’s been told over the span of countless generations, and it’s one that’s very entertaining to say the least. This short story’s enough to get the point across—stop being bitter—and entertain your little one in the process.
Tagu-Taguan: A Counting Book in Filipino
Jomike Tejido is a well-known Filipino illustrator and author. He’s written and illustrated several award winning books, and Tagu-Taguan happens to be one of them. This book is perfect for those of you with very young children who are learning to count and also finding their way around their surroundings. This book guides your children and helps them learn how to count to ten. What’s more, it also helps show them the different creatures you can find in places like your backyard. It’s definitely a book you should consider reading with your children if you want to help stimulate their imagination and let them learn too!
Ang Aking Paligid
In line with books that can help teach you more about your surroundings, this book by Adarna House entitled “Ang Aking Paligid” is another one that’s a great read. It’s a perfect way for your little one to learn more about the house they live in, and in their native tongue, nonetheless! What’s more, it’s also a way to teach your little one about what you can find in almost every Filipino home.
Bru-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... Bru-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi...
“Bru-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... Bru-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi…” may sound like a very odd title for a book. While that may be the case, this story is actually something that can show you that one should not be quick to judge. This may be a book that’s meant for young children to read, however it has themes and lessons that even older people can learn to appreciate. If you want to read a story to your children that’ll help teach them something valuable and also give them something very heartwarming, “Bru-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... Bru-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi…” is definitely something you should consider getting.
Papel de Liha
“Papel de Liha” is another Filipino short story that this author believes is a classic. Having been a story that’s been around for a couple of decades, maybe even more, it focuses on a child’s curiousity about their mother’s hands. What’s more, it’s a very wholesome story that shows you how a child sees one’s parents and how they understand them. It’s yet another perfect story to read with your little one!
Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Lola
Another book on family, this classic Filipino short story focuses on one’s grandparents. More specifically, this stort tells of how a grandmother and her hair became the unlikely savior of her town. Among the many lessons you can get from this story, your child can learn about how sticking together can help one in times of hardship and how even someone like your grandmother can still do amazing things.
Noli Me Tangere
When you talk about Filipino books worth reading, Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere is bound to come up. However, when it comes to your children, how can one present it to them in a way that they’ll understand. Easy! By reading a version that’s tailored for younger readers. It’s a great way to bond with them, by reading through this classic with them and also helping them understand the lessons that Jose Rizal wanted to convey to his readers back then.
Si Pagong at Si Matsing (The Monkey and the Turtle)
One great book to get this list started would be that of a fable originally authored by Dr. Jose Rizal, our very own national hero. “Si Pagong at Si Matsing” (roughly translating to “The Monkey and the Turtle”) tells us of a monkey and a turtle and their interactions with one another. Here, we see one character trying to pull one over the other and seeing how the other reacts. You can see it as our local version of the fable of the hare and the turtle. However, this still has its own unique twists and elements that let you know it’s something that’s made by one of our most brilliant heroes.
Good Night Philippines, Good Night World
Buwan ng Wika is all about appreciating our national language. However, you can also see it as a time where one should also appreciate the other languages that are spoken throughout our country. After all, we’re made up of 7,107 islands. So, you can bet that there are different languages spoken in the various regions of the Philippines.
“Good Night Philippines, Good Night World” can help your children do this as it shows them the different ways that people say goodnight in various places in the Philippines (and even in different parts of the world). While it’s not going to teach them everything they need to know about the different Philippine languages, it’s still a great way to expose your children to them!
Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang
Written by Severino Reyes, “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” is a rich collection of different stories he originally wrote for Liwayway magazine. In this collection, you get to see all sorts of things. From fables to magical worlds, the “kuwento” that Lola Basyang has for you will take you to all sorts of wonderful places. What’s more, all these stories have a great lesson to teach you. It’s something like our very own version of Aesop’s Fables.
If you’re looking for bedtime stories to read to your children at night, “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” is definitely something that you should consider. Your children will surely enjoy it (and you might too)!
