Being a teacher in my previous life sparked a love of children’s books. I hope to always have a small little library in my home. Filipino children’s books have been a cross culture bridge and have taught me so much about the Philippines. The more we know about our place, the more we feel connected to our place. How lucky for us that this September is literacy month! This week on AMA (amommabroad) I will feature a collection of Sari Sari Stories from four different regions of the Philippines. But before we dig in…

Some Exciting News:

I’ve teamed up with Alexine, the genius mom of Pumplepie Books, to have a Kuwento + Story Time this Sunday morning, September 22, from 9-9:30 AM. We will be sharing some of our favorite Filipino children’s books and learning from one another and you!

How To Watch:

Tune into Instagram at 9 am and watch our live streaming Kuwento + Story Time. The two accounts you can watch are: @amommabroad -and/or- @pumplepiebooks.

How To Win:

We will also be having a generous giveaway to a number of you. Please watch and comment on our live stream to win!

Now, onto our first book of the Sari Sari Stories, Si Amina Y El Cuidad De Maga Flores/Amina and the City of Flowers.

“Amina was born to the Yakan tribe in Basilan, but her family had relocate to Zamboanga city because of the war. Missing her hometown, her momma encourages her to weave her story as her ancestors did. Amina goes out into the city to find inspiration and this becomes a beautiful tour of Zamboanga.” -pumplepie

The story of Amina is a beautiful story of how lives everywhere are interwoven. The most beautiful representation of this is the incredible Yakan tapestry Amina weaves from the stories of those she meets around town.

sari sari stories share an introduction about the location and language of the specific region of the book

Textiles have held a large part in my heart the last few years in Manila. When I began learning and collecting abel I felt connected to the Philippines because I understood a piece of the culture here. I started to notice abel everywhere, then I began learning about unique weaves and textiles from other area of the Philippines. Amina’s story was a delight for me to read because I could understand the importance of the Yakan weave and the stories she wove.

the details on the back of sari sari stories books are delightful

Children’s books and textiles have been a cross culture bridge for me to create place attachment with the Philippines. Challenge yourself to find your own personal interests and the intersection of those found locally. You’ll be better for it.

Kita Kita,

Amber

You can buy Sari Sari Stories locally at Pumplepie Books.