Children’s book on resilience, bayanihan inspired by Typhoon Odette

Filipino Canadian Stephanie Ellen Sy, on top of a roof, showing her debut children’s book A Roof! CONTRIBUTED

VANCOUVER — If you found one of your neighbor’s lost possessions, you would most likely return it. But what if you found your neighbor’s entire roof?

That’s the situation facing Maya in “A Roof!,” a new children’s book by Filipino Canadian Stephanie Ellen Sy with illustrations by Filipino Daniel Tingcungco.

In the book, Maya discovers a whole roof in her backyard one day after a typhoon. Determined to reunite it with its owners, she and her tatay roll it up and set out on a journey.

Along the way, they get help from a farmer and his carabao, some fisherfolk, a sapatero, a labandera, a kusinera and more of her neighbors. Together, they haul, heave, push and drag the roof. Will they succeed in finding the roof’s family?

Based in reality

“I wrote this story while reflecting on Typhoon Rai (known as Typhoon Odette in the Philippines), which struck during Christmas 2021,” says Sy, who was born in the Philippines and is now based in Vancouver.

Growing up in the southeast Asian region, destructive typhoons were a regular occurrence for Sy.

But having lived in Hong Kong, the US and Italy, she knows that not everyone in the world has been in the midst of a typhoon. “Recognizing that this experience is unfamiliar to many, I felt compelled to share its importance.”

Typhoons are not the only element in the book inspired from real life. Returning house parts is, apparently, also a very real activity.

“A friend shared that, in her hometown, residents write their names and addresses on roofs to aid in their return after a storm. That’s how it came into the story!”

Bayanihan

Sy shares that she wants to “shed light on the profound impact of these disasters while showcasing the resilience and strength of communities in the face of adversity.”

“Natural disasters are unfortunately all too common in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia, where they significantly shape lives from the initial preparations through the arduous recovery process.”

Because of this, she wants to highlight and celebrate the Filipino spirit of bayanihan—a community’s collective effort to achieve a common goal – which she believes engenders “kindness, hope, resilience and solidarity.”

She says that her book “underscores the importance of unity, compassion and cooperation in times of crisis.”

Family dynamics

Sy also draws from family and relationships. “In the Philippines, a significant percentage of the population leaves the country to work [abroad], mostly women. As a result, many children are left to be cared for by their fathers or grandparents.

“I wanted A Roof! to portray these evolving family structures, moving beyond the traditional nuclear model to reflect the realities of the migrant worker culture.

“I wanted this story to resonate with children of migrant workers, and single-parent households, reassuring them that their family dynamic is valid and shared by many others.”

Sy says, “I write because it allows me to shed light on issues and share my experiences with those who might otherwise not be aware of them. Books have always transported me, and I want to provide the same escape and inspiration for other kids.”

VISIT StephanieEllenSy.com. Walter Ang is the author of Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater. Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.