Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore

I’m almost never a fan of stories where someone is immediately great at something they’ve never tried before since rarely is anyone perfect at something their first time out, a story like Kailani’s Gift is more life-like, more attainable, and inspiring, showing that yeah, initially you may struggle at something but if you keep trying and work hard, you’ll improve.

So great message here, and as an added bonus, there are some truly adorable illustrations and in a really pretty color palette.

I received this book through a giveaway.… (more)

“Kailani’s Gift” is fun children’s story that will probably make you want to learn the national dance of the Philippines!

Young Kailani sees her sisters and brother practicing the traditional Filipino dance called tinikling. They are planning a performance for their grandparents’ (Lolo and Lola’s) Golden Anniversary, and Kailani wants to join in. She only has a week to learn the intricate dance. Can she do it in time?

The story is not only fun and meaningful, but it offers so much information on Filipino customs, foods, language, and culture. What a fun learning experience! There’s even a Glossary page that offers definitions for half a dozen Tagalog words.

First Line: Only one more week until Lolo and Lala’s big anniversary party!
Genre: Children
Author: Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young
Page Count: 40
Reading Age: 3-7

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.… (more)

In a beautiful short story about Cora learning how to cook pancit, this children's book demonstrates how food can bring culture and family together. This is an excellent book to show a portion of what it is like to share and celebrate culture and food! I believe that this is a story that all children can learn from, and this can be a vital and important piece to add to any young reader's library. Although the content is important for all ages to understand, the language of the book may be too easy or simple for advanced readers (minus the Filipino words and foods listed in the back) and therefore would be more successful in being with younger readers instead.… (more)