Sari-Sari Storybooks

Can design support culture? Can it change perceptions of a people and country, or strengthen a child’s self-esteem? These questions are what drove Christina to found a niche Filipino children’s press, Sari-Sari Storybooks, in 2012.

The press publishes modern bilingual picture books in underrepresented Philippine languages. Each story is written to a specific ethno-linguistic group, comes with teaching tools (discussion questions and a glossary), and is illustrated by a Philippine-based artist, preferrably from the story region.

The press is driven to: 1) diversify children’s literature, 2) support cultural pride and curiosity in young Filipinos and their caregivers, 3) strengthen the use of Philippine languages such as Waray, Meranaw, Cebuano, Ivatan, and Chavacano.

In 2016, the Kickstarter raised $18,634 from over 300 backers. In following years, book events were held in 16 cities. This level of support shows the interest in original Filipino storytelling among audiences in the Philippines, United States, and other countries. The press has been featured by The Seattle Review of Books, Smart Parenting PH, The Nerds of Color, The Philippine Inquirer, The Aswang Project, NBC Asian Pacific America Bay Area, IndyKids, Positively Filipino, and Designers and Geeks.

Illustrations by Happy Garaje, Robbie Bautista, Jaypee Portez, and Ray Sunga.