Tales from the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories

by Dianne de Las Casas, Zarah C. Gagatiga

Celebrate the unique diversity and vibrancy of the Philippines through an in-depth exploration of the stories, traditions, songs, crafts, and recipes of the many different regions of the country.

Tales from the 7,000 Filipino Folk Stories offers insights into the people and culture of the Philippines through dozens of tales representing the nation's various islands, regions, and cultural-ethnic groups. Designed to provide educators with material with which to enhance curriculum and lesson plans, the stories open a gateway to a rich and unique cultural mix.

The tales presented here are divided into animal stories, how and why stories, tales of enchantment, trickster tales, and scary stories. In them readers can discern not only the native Filipino culture, but the influences of the many peoples who have moved through and settled in the islands, most notably Malay, Chinese, and Spanish, but also Arab, Indian, and American. A brief history of the country, its people, and their cultural traditions is included, as are crafts, children's games, recipes, and color photos. Notes about the stories, a bibliography, and a glossary complete the volume.

Genres: Folk Tales

204 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Dianne de Las Casas was an award-winning author, storyteller, and founder of Picture Book Month. Her performances, dubbed “revved-up storytelling” were full of energetic audience participation. The author of 24 books, Dianne was the International Reading Association LEADER 2014 Poet Laureate, and the 2014 recipient of the Ann Martin Book Mark award. Her children’s titles include The Cajun Cornbread Boy, There’s a Dragon in the Library, The Little “Read” Hen, The House That Santa Built, and Cinderellaphant. She was also the mom of Kid Chef Eliana, a 14-year-old award-winning chef, cookbook author, and radio show host. Visit her website at diannedelascasas.com. Visit Picture Book Month at PictureBookMonth.com. Twitter & Instagram: @AuthorDianneDLC Facebook: fanofdianne

Reviews

[Myra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love folk tales and this was a nice enough collection of Filipino stories. The language and cultural notes were helpful.

[Christine Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories used:
The First Bullfrog (Cebu, Central Visayas)
Melu and Tau Tana: Creation Story from the B'Laans (South Cotabato and Davao del Sur, Mindanao)
Limokon's Children: Creation Story from the Mandayas (Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental Mindanao)
The Tale of Cow and Carabao (Bulacan, Southern Tagalog Region)
The Legend of the Mango Fruit (Zambales, Central Luzon)
Why Bats Fly at Night (National Capitol Region)
The Igorot Story of Creation (Cordillera Autonomous Region)
Juan Tamad and the Rice Pot (Batangas, Southern Tagalog Region)
Inug-ay and the Dayap Fruit (Mountain Province, Cordillera Autonomous Region)
The Deer, the Witch, and Alimaung (Davao del Sur, Mindanao)
The Three Lovely Maidens (National Capitol Region)