The narrative is beautifully attuned to a child’s perspective and the striking red background to the highly dynamic illustrations increases the story’s impact, especially as the depictions of the narrator and her two sisters are endearingly pixie-like. Because the only clue to the narrator’s identity is through these abstract illustrations, in which she is in fact a girl, this story can feel relevant to both girls and boys. Having said that, though, looking at the publisher’s page about the book, it refers to the narrator as “he”… and, this being a bilingual book, it may be that this ambiguity is only in the English and not in the Filipino, which I don’t read…

When the inevitable question comes up: why can’t her parents live together in the same house, both Mama and Papa give imaginative and comprehensible answers – and at the end, they come together to share in their child’s sixth-birthday celebrations.

This is a beautifully reassuring book, both for children trying to make sense of their parents’ separation; and for children who may be trying to understand what is happening in their friends’ lives – and not forgetting parents who are striving to provide security in the aftermath of such a situation. In an end-note, author Jean Lee C. Patindol explains how the story came into being following some insensitive remarks from neigbours to her five-year-old-son after her own separation: and how she struggled “to find a way to explain to my children that, even with our unusual family setup, they are still very much loved.” Through this story she has certainly succeeded in doing so, not only for her own children but universally.

Papa’s House, Mama’s House was the 2004 Grand Winner of both the PBBY Salanga Prize (for writers) and the PBBY Alcala Prize (for illustrators). You can read a full review here, as part of our current focus on the Philippines. And I must just point you towards the latest post on Jean a.k.a. Jeanette’s blog, in which she relates a conversation with her nine-year-old daughter…

Graciela can’t have her father at home for her seventh birthday but she can at least have the parcel he sends to her… or so she thinks. But she waits and waits and the parcel never arrives. Papi cries at the other end of the phone – a very daring notion to include in a picture book, which really brings home the stress of separation for all involved. Graciela goes through many emotions – expectation turns to upset and then anger but, with her mother’s help, she emerges from the experience not unscathed but with hope in her heart.

In the same way that we feel Graciela will grow from the experience, young readers/ listeners (and this really is a book for sharing at a first reading), will find the story sobering and thought-provoking. They will empathise with the universality of her responses to what she has no control over; and they will question and learn about the reality of what life is like for some families, where separation is the only answer in order for them to survive.

There’s a great review of Papi’s Gift over at BookBuds and Picture Book of the Day recommends it as a springboard for a classroom writing activity.