Filipino Children's Books: The Best of 2026 (Plus How to Make Your Own)
The best Filipino children's books in 2026. Authors, publishers, themes — and how to make a personalized book starring your Filipino American child.
Filipino Americans are the third-largest Asian American community in the US — behind Chinese and Indian Americans — but you’d never know it from the US children’s book market. Filipino protagonists appear in a tiny fraction of American children’s books. Filipino authors are rare. The community’s children are often left reading about Asian cultures that aren’t theirs.
This is changing, slowly. Here are the best Filipino children’s books in 2026, plus how to make one where your Filipino American child is finally the hero.
Ages 2–4: Foundation books
Baby’s First Words in Tagalog (various)
Basic bilingual board books. Not literary achievements, but essential for early vocabulary exposure.
Filipino Celebrations by Liana Romulo
A picture-book introduction to Filipino holidays. Good primer for kids meeting the culture.
Halo-Halo by Danica Maceda (if available)
Board book celebrating the iconic Filipino dessert.
Ages 4–6: Stories with plot
The Birthday Letter by Nikki Grimes
Not Filipino-specific, but a picture book featuring a Filipino American girl.
Lost in Manila by Augie Rivera
A boy navigating his family’s move back to the Philippines for a visit. Accessible immigration/return narrative.
Ube: The Color Purple by Arianna Balayan
Celebration of ube — the purple yam that’s central to Filipino desserts.
Ages 6–8: Deeper stories
Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Lazo Gilmore
A grandmother and granddaughter make pancit together. Warm, intergenerational, food-centered.
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
Middle-grade novel. A Filipino boy moves to the UK to join his mother. Themes of family separation and reunion.
Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelan
Middle-grade fantasy drawing on Filipino mythology. A rare literary achievement.
Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay
Middle-grade historical fiction set in pre-colonial Philippines. Unflinching and beautiful.
Ages 8–10: For older readers
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelan
Newbery Medal winner. A Filipino American boy is the protagonist. Required reading.
When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin (for fans of mythology)
Drawing on mythology from the broader region including Filipino influences.
Essential Filipino American authors
Erin Entrada Kelan — Newbery Medal winner. Hello, Universe is her best-known book. Every Filipino American kid should read her.
Candy Gourlay — Filipino British middle-grade author. Tall Story and Bone Talk are essential.
Dorina Lazo Gilmore — Picture books centered on Filipino family life and food. Cora Cooks Pancit is a classic.
Aimee Suzara — Poet and picture-book author tackling Filipino American identity themes.
Publishers to follow
Adarna House — Philippines-based publisher of children’s books. Quality is excellent; distribution in the US is limited but growing.
Lampara Books — Another Philippines-based children’s publisher. Strong bilingual offerings.
Tuttle Publishing — Not Filipino-specific but publishes many Asian-culture children’s books including Filipino titles.
The personalized Filipino book
Given how few Filipino protagonists appear in mainstream children’s publishing, a personalized book where your Filipino American child is the hero is especially powerful. At Akoni Books, we make these with nine art styles available.
Popular Filipino American themes we see families choose:
- Tết / Lunar New Year adventures (Filipino families celebrate Lunar New Year too, particularly those with Chinese heritage)
- Island Adventure stories — featuring emerald islands, blue water, jungle cliffs
- Best Pancit Night Ever — family kitchen stories
- Folktales Made New — accessible introductions to Filipino folklore
Create a personalized book starring your Filipino American child →
Filipino folklore worth introducing
Filipino folklore is underexplored in American children’s media but richly rewarding:
- The myth of Mayon Volcano — a love story tied to a specific mountain
- Malakas at Maganda — the Filipino creation story of the first man and woman
- The aswang — shapeshifting folk creatures (handle carefully with young kids; these stories can be genuinely scary)
- Bernardo Carpio — a giant who holds mountains apart
Most Filipino American kids don’t know these stories. Teaching them is a quiet gift.
Filipino holidays to build traditions around
- Christmas — the Philippines has one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world (September through January). Lanterns (parol) are central. Consider a parol-making activity each December.
- Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9) — Day of Valor, commemorating the Bataan Death March. Somber but important for older kids.
- Independence Day (June 12) — celebrate with Filipino food, music, family gatherings.
- Filipino American History Month (October) — read from the list above, deepen connection to heritage.
A tradition worth starting
Every Filipino American Heritage Month (October), add one new Filipino-themed book to your child’s permanent shelf. Write the year inside the front cover. Over ten years, your kid builds a Filipino library that most of their American classmates won’t have access to.
And somewhere on that shelf — a personalized book with your child’s face on the cover, anchoring the rest.
Start this year. One book, one recipe, one folktale. Salamat to the parents building this tradition for their kids.