Guide to Enjoying and Learning from Philippine Picture Books

Title: Ay Naku!
Author: Reni Roxas
Artist: Serj Bumatay III
Publisher: Tahanan Books, 2010
Award: Best Children's Picture Book, 2nd National Children's
Book Awards 2012

Ay Naku! tells the story of a day in the life of Botbot – in 65

Filipino words. It is a funny and endearing read-aloud that is
perfect for learning our language, country, and culture.

Philippine Games
The second and third pages of the book show some of Botbot's uniquely Filipino toys.
Point out the trumpo, sipa, and sungka. Talk about other Filipino games such as
patintero, tumbang preso, luksong tinik, and piko. Make new memories with these
games that you probably played as kids by teaching it to your kids and playing it with
them!

Family
Botbot's family is composed of his dad, mom, kuya (elder brother) and Botbot. Who
are the people in your family? Make a family tree. Most Filipino households include
our grandparents. Talk about the unique Filipino trait of living with extended family.

“Bahay Kubo”
While not explicitly shown, the illustrations throughout the book depict a typical Filipino
home. The seemingly lawanit stairs, the décor (banga, carabo figurine, the Philippine
seashell), the screened capiz windows, and the banig where Botbot sleeps reminds the
reader of a bahay kubo (nipa hut), an indigenous house used by Filipinos. The bahay
kubo is made of bamboo, nipa or anahaw leaves and is usually raised by stilts. The
spirit of bayanihan, which the Filipino is known for, is usually depicted by the bahay
kubo. This culture of communal unity is said to be rooted in the tradition of helping a
family move to a new place by carrying their bahay kubo to another location.

“Ako Ay Filipino”

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Aside from the bahay kubo, the book is filled with interesting Filipino elements from
start to end. Talk to your child about the traits that are special and unique to him, the
Filipino. Magalang, masunurin, masinop (point out the picture of the child packing
away, nagliligpit), masipag, matulungin are some of the characteristics that we are
proud of. How does the story depict these traits? How does your child show these
characteristics when dealing with others?

Show your child a picture of the Philippine flag, the symbol of our country. Older
children may draw or color the flag. Explain the different elements of the flag. A good
go-along for older kids is “Bandila”, also by Tahanan books.

Point out also other objects that identify the Philippines. The jeepney, Philippine
mangoes, and the beautiful beaches around the archipelago are just some of the
treasures of the country that we are proud of.

Vocabulary
Speaking in Filipino naturally is a lost art among our children. The last page of the
book lists down words that may be new to your child's vocabulary. Use them when
conversing with your children to appreciate the Filipino language.

Art and Imagination

Point out the dog hilariously illustrated in each page of the story. What do you think is
the name of the dog? (Puti comes to mind.) Notice how the dog imitates what Botbot is
doing. If you have a pet, talk about the silly things that it does. A rabbit that wrinkles
her nose? A parrot that loves to perch upside down? A cat that chases its tail? Why
do they do that? What silly things do you and your child do? Have fun making up silly
faces!

Daily Routine and Telling Time

The story tells of Botbot's day – from the time he wakes up until the time he sleeps.
Routines are important especially for young children as they develop good habits and
behavior. The structure gives them a sense of stability and comfort. Ask your child
what his/her own daily routine is. Print and post your family's routine in a visible place
and point out to your child what activity will happen next. This is also good practice for
sequencing and organizational skills.

Schedules also help when introducing parts of the day and teaching about time. Talk
about what you do in the morning (wake up, eat breakfast), afternoon (take a nap,
play), and evening (eat dinner, read a story, sleep). Older children can be taught how
to tell the time. Enjoy practicing by incorporating telling the time into your day (ex.
“Both hands of the clock is on number 12. What does that mean? What time is it?
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What do we do at 12 noon?”).

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 Family Tree

Leaf photo courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

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MY FAMILY TREE

Photo of tree from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

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 Color The Philippine Flag

The image on this page is from http://www.world-free-printable-flags.com

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Ay Naku! Unit Study © The Learning Basket
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Ay Naku! Unit Study © The Learning Basket
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