Living Books on Philippine History and Culture for Young Kids

One thing that I love about our local publication scene is the number of great quality children’s books available. There are a lot of living books that are great introductions to Philippine culture and history.

I tried to round up our personal favorite books for young kids. These books are great for read-aloud for pre-k up to around Grade 1 and can be used for independent reading by older kids.

Hope you find this list helpful!

What is a Living Book?

One of the things I love about the Charlotte Mason approach on education is the emphasis on using living books. The website, Simply Charlotte Mason, describes it perfectly with this:

“[Living] books pull you into the subject and involve your emotions, so it’s easy to remember the events and facts. Living books make the subject “come alive.” They can be contrasted to dry writing, like what is found in most encyclopedias or textbooks, which basically lists informational facts in summary form.”

In my own words, I would describe a living book as a book that uses memorable imagery and stories, which makes it easy for the reader to understand a particular concept or lesson.

Local Filipino Living Books

You may wonder; are there local children’s books that could be considered as Living Books? And my answer to that is a big, definite YES! In fact, there are so many wonderful children’s books created by our local publishers that it won’t be hard to find great books your children will not only learn from but will also enjoy.

In this article, I’ve included the titles and a brief anecdote on the lesson or topic it features. You may also click on the link that will direct you to a local online store called Pumplepie, where I get most of my locally published books.

The books are also arranged by theme for easy reference. Enjoy!

Living Books on Philippine History

• First Around the Globe: Magellan narrative from a different point of view
• Bandila: Story of the Philippine Flag
• Si Ambongan: Magellan’s arrival from a local’s point of view
• Si Diwayen, Noong Bago Dumating ang mga Espanyol: Life before Spanish Colonial Times
• Si Segunda, Noong Pahanon ng mga Espanyol: Life during the Spanish Colonial Era
• Si Juanito, Noong Panahon ng mga Amerikano: Life during the American Occupation
• Si Pitong, Noong Panahon ng mga Hapon: Life during the Japanese Occupation
• Si Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar: Life during Martial Law (Note that this has heavy themes so might not be suitable for very young or more sensitive kids)
• A Basket in War: War in Mindanao
• Ang Lakambini at Ako (Note: Written only in Filipino)
• Ang Kaibigan Kong si Mabini (Note: Written only in Filipino)

Living Books on Noteworthy Filipinos

• Ninoy, Cory and Noynoy
• Nanay Coring: The Story of National Book Store’s Socorro Ramos

Living Books on Philippine Provinces and Indigenous People

• Amina and the City of Flowers: Yakan Tribe in Basilan
• Sandangaw (A Waray Tale): Waray People from the Visayas
• Barefoot Bulayan: Bagobo Tribe in Southern Philippines

Living Books on Philippine Culture

• Araw ng Palengke: Features traditional wet markets in the country
• Pitong Tsinelas: Inclusion/Children with disabilities, Filipino Childhood Games
• From Manila with Love: “Balikbayan” or OFW, Filipino families living in the US
• Mang Andoy’s Signs: Urban life in Manila
• Ano’ng Gupit Natin Ngayon?: Urban life in Manila
• May Gulong na Bahay: Poverty in the Philippine setting
• Tight Times: Poverty in the Philippine setting
• Ang Kural na Bahay: Poverty in the Philippine setting
• Rain is Here: Life in the Philippine countryside
• Malong the Magic Cloth: Usage of a malong or a traditional cloth
• Yaya Niya, Nanay Ko: Peek through the life of nannies and their families in the Philippines

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Related Post: Introduction to Filipino for Kids: Language

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For more book lists and recommendations, click here!

Note: This is by no means a comprehensive list of all locally produced living books. These are simply the titles I’ve personally read. I am also NOT a Charlotte Mason expert nor do I claim to be one and I definitely welcome suggestions from the community. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have other titles to add to the list. I will be updating this entry continuously!