Tino and the Typhoon

Wow! We loved this story as a family read aloud! First, I learned so much about a part of history that I never knew! We loved learning a bit of the culture and the way of life for people in this barrio. We also thoroughly enjoyed the folk tales shared. It had great lessons on being a family, community, and facing fears.
This book would be a great resource to use in a weather unit study or a unit study on the Philippines!
Negatives? Not really! There were difficult words, but my kids loved looking up in pronunciation and definition in the glossary. We also thought this started a little slow, but we were hooked halfway into the second chapter!

We learned so much about the Philippines and their lifestyle and history as we were captivated by the story of Tino. A boy who conquered his fears and saved his village in a terrible storm. This book is filled with many wonderful messages including respect, a love of learning, family love, and courage.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way Tino and his sister took care of each other and I learned about the Filipino culture. There were a few folk tales sprinkled throughout the story that were interesting and fun. I liked this lesson that Tino’s father taught him, “It is doing what must be done, no matter how scared he is, that makes a brave man—or a brave boy.”

My 10 and 14 yo daughters really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it as well and learned a lot about the Philippines as I read. I loved the sibling, parent, and community relationships in this story, and I appreciated the growth of the main character through the course of the adventurous tale. He learned that courage is being brave even though you’re scared, and he faced his fears in order to save others.

My second grader loves this book. She asked many questions about where the Philippines are, what a typhoon is, etc. It was fun to look at a map and learn more about setting where this story takes place.
She also enjoyed that the family has brothers and sisters. The main character is a boy, but his sister, who is the next oldest child in the family, is an important supporting character.
The book is exciting without being scary. It focuses on the virtues of being brave when afraid, hard work, and the benefits of learning and education.
There are a couple of folk stories from the culture of the characters. One mentions god and goddesses; however, the characters do not worship them. Instead, the stories give insight into the culture.
Overall, we have enjoyed this book and have read it more than once.