Children’s Book of Indigenous Philippine Tales 

Penn Museum staff member Jo Tiongson-Perez in collaboration with artist and educator Denise Orosa will produce a children’s book of eight short, lyrical retellings of native Filipino stories in both English and Tagalog, illustrated by Filipino artists. Tiongson-Perez and Orosa see this as an opportunity to provide children of the Filipino diaspora with a link to their identity, devoid of colonial history that has produced deeply ingrained biases across generations. They are looking to reinvigorate pride in the indigenous culture and heritage of the Philippines as well as inspire curiosity in native stories from their homeland that spark meaningful conversation in families. The eight stories will represent the eight provinces that rebelled against three centuries of Spanish colonial rule and will incorporate native images, symbols, flora, and fauna. There will be a glossary at the end of the book that highlights these key images and offers short, digestible facts about their meaning or significance. The glossary will also incorporate definitions of regional and colloquial vocabulary.

• 2021
• 2021 Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Artists Support
• Penn Museum
• Responsive Opportunity

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