My children helped me learn that one of the great joys of parenthood is rediscovering, as an adult, the delightful world of childhood.
As a new mom, I remember going to this huge bookstore to search for books to give to my daughter on her first Christmas day. There were rows and rows of beautiful picture books on all kinds of topics. It was great. I was lost in that store, I could have stayed for hours.
While conceptualizing and writing Francesca, I fondly recalled my daughters’ early years. Parenthood, anywhere in the world, presents a steep learning curve, but raising children in a country other than the one you grew you up in adds another dimension to it. I recently encountered the term ‘third-culture kids’.
These days, more and more, we are becoming global citizens. However, there’s always a reason to celebrate the good in every culture, whether it’s the food, the arts, the language or the values.
In this book, Francesca celebrates her birthday. The setting is outside of the Philippines. See if you can spot the things that are traditionally found in Filipino celebrations and share these with your kids. We hope you and and your child will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making the book.
