image courtesy of www.adarna.com.ph
"My countrymen, as of the twenty-first of this month, I signed Proclamation № 1081 placing the entire Philippines under Martial Law...”— Ferdinand Marcos, September 21, 1972
How do you tell a story to your children about Martial Law in the Philippines? How do you tell them about what happened in the EDSA People Power Revolution? Ikwento natin sa kanila ang kasaysayan.
Most of us, parents wants to shelter our kids from the harsh realities of life. But a Filipino writer wants to give kids a taste of life's harsh truth through a children's book.
Isang Harding Papel written by Augie Rivera and illustrated by Romel Joson is a story set during the Martial Law through the eyes of Jenny, a young girl's experience of visiting her mother, a political detainee imprisoned for years after joining a protest rally.
Isang Harding Papel book trailer
The story also presents a childhood defined and redefined in difficult times and it also depicts how love and family triumph over darkness.
This book will give parents, teachers and librarians a springboard when discussing to children what actually happened during Martial Law in the Philippines.
History repeats as they say, in this book, the lessons of the past can help young readers develop a deeper love of country and history.
We can empower kids when we expose them to different kinds of stories, not only fairy tales. Because these are realities in life, to better equip them in the future.