Kailani's Gift - by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young (Hardcover)

Kailani’s Gift brings together a culturally-based story with excellent writing and thoughtful illustrations. I love the story of Kailani persevering to learn something new. I appreciated the high stakes for Kailani, excellent pacing, and the loveable and encouraging dad character. The Filipino cultural elements were new to me, and I enjoyed learning about the tinikling dance. The glossary and pronunciation guide were helpful with the few Tagalog words. The illustrations are beautiful and augment the story; Lynnor Bontigao inserted many specific details, such as adding “To ube or not to ube” to the mother’s apron and indicating two sisters were twins through their clothing. New elements will stand out at each reading. And the endpapers are also 10/10.

I loved reading “Kailani’s Gift” to my littles. What a lovely open door introducing the reader to Filipino culture. From the beautiful illustrations, the descriptive words that provide a taste of the sensory experience that comes from this traditional dance, and the common struggle we all face when learning something new, this is book for every home, school, and library. I loved experiencing the tender father-daughter dynamic and encouraging my girls to keep trying, just as Kailani did.

Trying something new is hard for all of us, and in this gorgeous picture book, adorable little Kailani desperately wants to be like her older siblings and dance their traditional Filipino "tinikling" for a special anniversary celebration. However, it's a lot more difficult that she imagined... With vibrant illustrations and fun dance steps and rhythms to follow, this is a delightful celebration of family and culture. Along with Kailani, we get to see the joy of not giving up but persevering and achieving goals, and the sweet gift of having the encouragement of loved ones to cheer us on.

I enjoyed sitting down with my 6-year-old son and reading Kailani's gift! Loved learning a bit about Filipino culture and tradition. The glossary in the back of Filipino words, the teaching moment at the very end, beautiful illustrations, and the message of compassion, love, patience, and enduring were great for both me and my son. Kailani's gift is a good one for family bookshelves, schools, and libraries. Thanks to Dorina for another book to help us SEE, LEARN, and LOVE each other better.

Kailani's Gift is a sweet, beautifully illustrated book that reminds readers they aren't alone when struggling to try something new. I love the way the story is enriched with aspects of Filipino culture, and how it shows a meaningful example of what it means to persevere. Readers will love Kailani, her relatable struggles, and her willingness to keep trying at her talents as a gift to those around her.

Charming story of Kailani being brave to learn how to perform the Filipino dance named the tinikling for her grandparents. After her father teaches her to right sequence of steps, Kailani practices and practices for the big show at her grandparents 50th anniversary party.

From the author of Cora Cooks Pancit, comes a sweet new book, Kailani's Gift, by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young that highlights the beautiful tinikling dance in Filipino culture. I never knew about this dance until I read this book and I have enjoyed learning more about it in my conversations with my Filipino friends. I love seeing more AAPI representation and diversity in children's books! I also like how this book includes universal themes of perseverance, kindness, patience, and courage. I like how the book shows Kailani's determination to learn the tinikling dance through the support of her family. Intergenerational relationships, especially with grandparents, is such an important aspect of Asian culture, so I am glad to see that highlighted here. This book could be used to teach growth mindset and social emotional learning as readers observe Kailani's feelings as she practices, encounters setbacks, and makes progress. Children will learn how love can be shown through action, service, and creatively developing our gifts and talents. I like how the back matter includes a glossary of Tagalog words and their pronunciations of the Filipino clothes and foods mentioned in the book. Dorina's rhythmic words and Lynnor Bontigao's vibrant and culturally authentic illustrations will make you want to move and try a few of the tinikling dance steps yourself! Such a great read aloud for families to enjoy reading and dancing together! I want to thank the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.