(2) 4-6 Seventh grader Freddie is jinxed by a family curse. Bad luck follows him "like toilet paper stuck to my shoe," whether he's tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his face or losing his pants. One day, Freddie finds what looks like an ancient coin in his garage. It turns out to be a family heirloom in which the spirit of his great-granduncle Ramon is trapped. Determined to free Ramon, Freddie has just thirteen days to outsmart the evil spirits that have been casting misfortune on his life--and that are now bent on trapping Freddie. Badua's intriguing and humorous debut novel integrates snippets of Filipino American history into the plot alongside elements of the supernatural and contemporary-kid life. Intergenerational conflicts arise between Freddie's parents and his lovable, superstitious grandma, Apong Rosing, leaving our protagonist and his quick-witted cousin, Sharkey, to defeat the Ruiz family curse once and for all. Weaving together mystery, folklore, history, magic, and intrigue, Freddie's adventures are an entertaining delight.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(4) K-3 Multicultural Fairy Tales series. Meister gathers Beauty and the Beast stories from France, China, and Switzerland and Hansel and Gretel tales from Germany, Russia, Italy, and the Philippines. Each collection begins with a familiar Western version and then encourages comparison via appended writing prompts. While the retellings and illustrations are undistinguished, the variants are well chosen to highlight folktales as a global genre. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers the following Multicultural Fairy Tales titles: Beauty and the Beast Stories Around the World and Hansel and Gretel Stories Around the World.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Francisco X. Mora. From a house above Manila Bay, the birds' good-night songs end the day--until the raucous, ungovernable gecko shatters the evening idyll. How to get rid of him? This is the eagle's doing, and it takes some maneuvering--with the suspense and humor of traditional nuisance-routing tales. Climo's telling is fluent and vivid, and Mora's calm, sweeping watercolors let the words register.

Reviewer: Barbara Bader | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Joanne de Leon. This collection includes Filipino fables, pourquoi tales, and legends. The thirteen stories reflect the richness of Filipino culture, with indigenous, Spanish, and some American strands woven into the tellings. The lighthearted illustrations are occasionally awkward, and the retellings lack finesse. However, considering the dearth of Filipino folklore books for children, libraries may want this one in their collections. Bib.

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