Sirena Ba 'Yan?

by Candy Gourlay, Francesca Chessa (Illustrator)

"ANG GANDA KONG SIRENA!" pahayag bg Dugong, habang ipinapakita kina Benji at Bel ang sirenang buntot (na medyo may kalakihan) at ang mala-sirenang pagkanta (na medyo nakaririndi). Sirena ba siya, o baboy-dagat? Halika sa karagatan at tingnan ang mahiwagang sorpresa...

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Mermaids, Fantasy, Friendship, Aapi

28 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Candy Gourlay was born in the Philippines, grew up under a dictatorship and met her husband during a revolution. She had many adventures as a journalist in Asia, including visiting North Korea in 1987. Then she moved to the UK and found herself writing news about toilet paper, toothpaste and bleach. She pivoted to writing books for children and young adults and was published after nine years of rejection. Her books have been nominated for major prizes in Europe, including the Carnegie, the Guardian Prize, the Costa and the Nero Book Award. She has won the National Children’s Book Award of the Philippines twice and the Crystal Kite Prize for Europe twice. Her first novel Tall Story was selected as one of the ‘100 Best Books of the Last 100 Years’ and Bone Talk was listed as a White Ravens Book and is endorsed by Amnesty International.

She lives in London with her family, where she loves dogs, making comics and gardening, in that order.

Reviews

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. The Dugong teaches a great message about knowing yourself and being true to yourself even when that self doesn't fit others' idea of who you appear to be.

[Elizabeth]

I don't understand why the girl in this book isn't wearing a swim top. She's bare-chested.

[Clairey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some beautiful illustrations but I am afraid that's all all it really has...I know it's a children's book, so you don't expect too much, but still. I just found the story very thin, nothing really interesting or exciting happened. My two little nieces did look quite bored. There was a nice message about conservation of nature in the back, about Dugongs, I did appreciate that. I feel like this book was just about a deluded Dugong that kept saying 'But I am a mermaid.' Felt slightly like this book was pushing the transgender agenda, but very subtly. In the end the kids accept that the Dugong (despite being a Dugong) is actually a Mermaid. Quite silly really, and the message is so subtle it's lost on children, which is a good thing. I don't support politicizing and brainwashing children through picture books...so not a fan.

[kb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book that's basically about believing in the best you can become! Loved the dugong awareness and how kids are exploring in the outside world. The illustrations are also so pretty and colorful. Would gift to my nieces and nephew so we can all be beautiful mermaids!






Here are all the books I read in 2019! :)

[Patriz SD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was at the Emirates Literature Festival and chanced upon a panel of young adult writers talking about the need for diversity in books for today's younger generation. Candy Gourlay was part of the panel - she was extremely funny and charismatic. I picked up a few of her books soon after (I loved Wild Song and wrote a review on that too!).

While I'll write my own context and review, I got this one for my little niece, who laughed so loud every time I read out the dugong's line - "I'm a mermaid!". Her love for it should be a strong testament to how cute this book is and why it works for the audience.

I personally loved this because of the small nuances that make it Filipino:
1. When the foreigners first arrived in the Philippines, they saw the local dugong and thought it was a mermaid (hence the whole premise)
2. She took great care with her illustrator to actually match the drawings to Filipino life - i.e., relevant tropical plants and young kids in the island who tend to wear oversized basketball shorts and shirts and even old car tires converted into a swing. This is not a typical American or British book.

She talked about diversity on the panel and doing it right. I can say that she absolutely did with this one.

AMAZING JOB, CANDY. ❤️❤️

[Zarah Gagatiga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sirena Ba 'Yan? (Is That A Mermaid?) is Candy Gourlay's new picture book. It is about a dugong (sea cow) claiming itself as a mermaid to the chagrin of two kids who met this gentle sea creature by the shore. Together they go on an adventure with the dugong consistently keeping its claim, I am a mermaid!

The book is both humorous and thought provoking. On the surface, the dugong sounds and looks silly but there is unwavering conviction each time it articulates its chosen identity. The children learned to accept this and allowed it to be. As gentle and tolerant as the dugong, they empathised and understood. What harm can a sea cow, who thinks it is a mermaid, do to them?

There are many layers to this playfully illustrated picture book that could lead to conversations about facts on sea creatures and marine animals, choices and self knowledge. What else could you expect from the award winning author of Tall Story (Anvil, 2012) but a tale of contradictions and opportunities to think and ask questions.

The book launching is on Saturday, March 16, 2019 2PM at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really special book about two children, Benji and Bel, who meet a Dugong. We, the reader, know it’s a Dugong, but Dugong thinks it is a mermaid. And while Bel is happy to play with Dugong no matter what she thinks she is, Benji has a tougher time, and insists on telling Dugong that she isn’t a mermaid. When he finally upsets her, he realises that it doesn’t matter if she calls herself a mermaid; they can still be her friend and play with her all the same.

This would be a wonderful book to read with a child and talk through the emotions of each character and how the story comes together at the end.

There is so much to love in the illustration done by Francesca Chessa.

And the back page explains about Dugongs and how endangered they are.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of funny. A dugong thinks it is a mermaid. The girl plays among, but the boy doesn't, until eventually the dugong's feelings are hurt. I liked that the author did maintain that it was a digging even though it was making itself a mermaid, because factually it was a dugong. It was funny.

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how assertive and insistent Dugong is with the kids: "I am a MERMAID!" Indeed you are, and a very fine one at that! This would be a great lead-in to some nonfiction about dugongs and a discussion of marine biology and conservation.

[Elizabeth]

According to the backmatter:

It is said that during the 17th and 18th centuries European sailors arriving on Southh-east Asian shores mistook Dugongs for mermaids.

In fact the Dugong is a sea cow, but the word 'dugong' is from the Malay word for 'mermaid': duyong.

This Dugong insists she is a mermaid. The boy child insists she is a Dugong/sea cow, whereas the girl child is happy to accept her as a mermaid and in fact repeatedly responds to her statements with expressions of affinity and mimics her behavior. I was initially thinking about how this lines up with gendered norms of rationality vs. sociability, but later I was thinking about this narrative's similarities to trans narrative -- of self-identity/self-understanding versus other people's insistence on what makes a "woman" or a "man."

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two children meet a dugong (or sea cow) who thinks she's a mermaid. They spend a lovely day together playing in the sea, doing mermaid things. A lovely little story, beautifully illustrated in a colorful, childish style. I look forward to using this during my beach-themed summer storytimes.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like another reviewer, I thought this might be a metaphor but would much rather just take it as a kids story. Although I like another reader's interpretation of being true to yourself. The back cover says it takes place in the Philippines, but there's no other indication of that in the story. Cute!

[Random Scholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a dugong who keeps insisting they are a mermaid. I think this book would be most ideal for students in grades K-2 when they are learning about SEL topics like kindness and respect.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sea cow cows to the shore and tries to convince two children he's a mermaid. Cute and informative about sea cows. Preschool and up

[Rhica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for the art, representation, and dugong facts

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story and beautiful art.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself isn't too exciting but the illustrations add beautifully. I also enjoy the exploration of another culture.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Natasha]

set in Philippines

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super original and cute story. I learned something new from this book while preparing for my read aloud!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of dreams and imagination.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun silly story of two kids finding a dugong (or sea cow) who claims to be a mermaid.

[Anisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book about a Dugong who says she's a mermaid. The Dugong gets upset that the boy correctly points out that she's not actually a mermaid.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this

[elsewhere · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sirena Ba 'Yan? by Candy Gourlay and Francesca Chessa (Illustrator) has been a heartwarming read about two children called Benji and Bel who one day see a dugong who claims that she is a mermaid. With colorful illustrations and a wonderful ending.

My actual rating for this is 3.5/5 stars.