My First Book of Tagalog Words: An ABC Rhyming Book of Filipino Language and Culture

by Liana Romulo, Jaime Laurel (Illustrator)

"U is for umaga , the end of the night--when Mama kisses me good morning, and dark becomes light."

My First Book of Tagalog introduces preschool children to the Tagalog language--also known as Filipino--the national language of the Philippines, which has been influenced by both Spanish and English.

Important everyday words in Filipino culture are presented in a playful and approachable ABC structure that makes learning fun and easy. Studies have shown that kids this age are developing language skills at a rapid rate--learning new words is a snap for them!

The catchy rhymes in this book reinforce learning, and children will be delighted by the charming Filipino kids they meet on each and every page. An introduction to the sounds of Tagalog along with notes on the Filipino language and culture provide a positive learning experience for both youngsters and parents.

An introduction to the sounds of Tagalog words, along with kid-friendly notes on linguistics and culture throughout, makes learning to speak Tagalog a positive experience.

Genres: Childrens, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

Published August 28, 2018

Reviews

[Arisa Castalone]

I am filipino that is why I read this book so I know how to speak tagalog.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers a Tagalog word for each letter of the alphabet, and has a short little rhyme about it that shows you what it means in context. Sometimes you're left not knowing exactlyyyy what the word means, and definitely not how to use it in a sentence, but you get the overall idea of it. I don't think it would really help someone without a Filipino background learn a whole lot about Filipinos / Tagalog, but for someone who has a slight background in it, like maybe one of their parents is Filipino or maybe they visited before, it could help teach them or remind them of a few things.
I do think the book would be more helpful if each page, maybe in smaller writing at the bottom, explained a bit better what the word meant, and used it in a sentence. I feel like there's a lot of missed opportunities for teaching and explanation about language and culture.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very weird to have a book about Filipino culture include the line "we're always on schedule and never run behind." Not to stereotype but I've never been on time for anything in my life and neither has any other Filipino I know. There's a reason the phrase "Filipino time" exists and it's not cause we're known for punctuality.

Apart from that, this book was such a disappointment. The rhymes were awkward and many of the words seemed chosen at random. I expected each word to relate to Filipino culture in some way other than just being a Filipino word, but "k is for kumot" doesn't show anything about Filipino culture. What about kuya? kamayan? even kare kare?

[Ivy Digest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quality book for kids with Tagalog speaking parents. As a read-aloud, the reader must know how to pronounce the words. That's how we learn a new language, we hear it then repeat it. My tweens enjoyed this and the colorful illustrations which will incite questions. I recommend this to parents who live outside the Philippines and want to teach their kids some Tagalog words. Adorable! @IvyDigest

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good attempt
I wanted to love it more
Doesn’t help me pronounce
I had to google
It would be great to have a bar code the reader could scan and have the author say the word
That would be awesome

Illustrations were not well detailed
Should have been better

[Vernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for my half-Caucasian/Filipino son!