Riding Through Rice Fields
A Trip to the Philippines
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A gorgeously written picture book about how healing it can be to return home, the natural beauty of the Philippines, and the concept of bayanihan.
A trip home reminds us of who we are.
Mateo and his dad live lonely, disconnected lives in the city. Every night at dinner, they look at each other, but they don't really see each other.
When they arrive in the Philippines for a family reunion, Mateo sees something in his dad’s eyes that he’s never seen before—adventure. Mateo and his dad embark on an epic bicycle trip to his father's childhood home, and along the way, they catch fish in a turquoise river, pick coconuts from a tall tree, and ride through one glorious rice field after another.
While Mateo learns more about this side of his father that he never knew, he also learns about bayanihan—people in the community coming together to help someone in need. When the trip comes to an end, it's difficult to say goodbye, but not only do Mateo and his dad bring home a stronger relationship as father and son, they also carry bayanihan back to their life in the city and strengthen the ties in their community.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An enlivening bicycle trip closes the emotional distance between a parent and child in Sterling's serene tale. At dinnertime each night, Mateo and Dad "look at each other, but we don't really see each other." When they head to a family reunion in the Philippines, "where Dad grew up," though, "I start to see him differently." The pair rent bikes to reach Dad's hometown, along the way taking a boat ride, visiting a coconut plantation, and encountering situations that teach Mateo about the concept of bayanihan—community help for a neighbor. Austria's digital illustrations render the lush landscape in greens, golds, and oranges, a palette that invigorates the duo's return home, where the family toasts "new beginnings and bayanihan!" Ages 3–7.
