Book review: 'Dream Big' series inspires kids to aim for the sky

What do President Noynoy Aquino, entrepreneur John Gokongwei Jr., National Book Store founder Socorro Ramos, and the late Secretary Jesse Robredo have in common aside from being successful and prominent individuals? They all have fascinating life stories that are notable because of how they overcame adversities to achieve their dreams.  

 

These same stories are featured in Dream Big Books, a collection written for children “that will kindle within them a desire to aim for the sky, do their best, and meet the challenge of helping to change the world we live in for the better.” 

 

A portion of the sales of each book is donated by publisher Summit Books to the subjects’ charity of choice.

 

Written by Yvette Fernandez with the help of the subjects and their families, each book is told from a first person perspective—a rather effective device that brings the stories closer to their intended audience than just a straightforward biography.

 

'Nanay Coring'

 

While Fernandez paid attention to Socorro Ramos’ early life and how she helped her family, what really piqued my interest in this story was how Ramos and her husband started their bookstore business. 

 

Future businessmen can take inspiration from how the couple worked to keep the store going even when many books were banned during the Japanese occupation, after their store burned down during the bombing of Manila, and later, after their store was flooded during a particularly strong typhoon.

 

This book also has a section with “12 Tips from Nanay Coring about Business and Life”, in which she encourages readers to, among others, “Work hard, very hard. There is no express elevator to success—you have to climb the stairs.” And also, “Don’t be afraid of anyone. Speak out when you have to. All people are the same. They all have stinky farts.”

 

I’ve always wondered how National Book Store got its name, and now I know: it was named after the brand of the first cash register that Ramos and her husband used when they first opened their small store in Manila.

 

'Big John'

 

John Gokongwei Jr. had a comfortable childhood in Cebu until his father died and their family’s properties were taken away to repay his father’s business debts.  

 

After sending off his siblings to live with their relatives in China, he and his mother started small business ventures like selling fried peanuts and garlic. At 15 years old, he sold thread, soap, and candles at the local market, and when he managed to save up more money, he traveled to Manila to sell other goods. 

 

Like Nanay Coring’s story, Gokongwei’s is remarkable for how much he succeeded despite undergoing various hardships beginning at a young age. And while I feel uncomfortable about how success stories like these sometimes glorify children working for a living despite the reality and prevalence of that situation in our society, I liked how Fernandez approached the subject.  

 

She highlighted how the parents are supportive and equally hardworking. The first person perspective also helped her to give voice to the feelings of the subjects and their personal motivations.

 

Gokongwei’s story, likewise, includes sections on entrepreneurship advice, and “Questions You Should Be Able to Answer with a YES Before You Go Into Business”, like “Can you be better than anyone else in the Philippines?” and “Are you willing to face the not-so-good things that come with it? (for example: big eye bags from working late nights, bad gossip from nasty rivals.)”

 

'Ninoy, Cory, and Noynoy'

 

The Aquinos’ story is so well-documented that there wasn’t much that I found of particular interest here events-wise. But I appreciated Fernandez’s succinct presentation of the historical events that will make it easy for the intended audience to grasp.

 

Since this is told from the perspective of President Noynoy, however, I liked that there is more in the story about his relationship with his family.  

 

Like Nanay Coring and Big John, the Aquino siblings were thrust into difficult situations at a young age, but for most readers, it will be easier to relate to the first two subjects’ trials and tribulations. And so more than the political achievements and the associated upheavals, I think it’s the aspect of family that younger readers will be able to relate to the most, although it will be the great achievements that will inspire them to dream big.

 

'Simply Jesse'

 

This particular volume is a bit different from the others in that it only chronicles the late Secretary Robredo’s story from the time he was mayor of Naga City until the time of his death, and the story is told from the perspective of his youngest daughter, Jillian.

 

Of course, that isn’t to say that his story is less inspirational for children. The choice to have Jillian narrate immediately makes the story more relatable because it focused on how she saw Robredo as a parent, and what she thought of his work as a public servant.

 

Since Fernandez based the story on many of the public interviews the Robredo family gave at the time of the Secretary’s death, many of the sentiments expressed by Jillian the narrator will be familiar to most, although it will, of course, be something new for the book’s intended readers, who were probably too young to understand what happened then.

 

All of the books in the Dream Big series are illustrated. The artworks of Abi Goy, Liza Flores, and Nicole Lim are colorful and eye-catching, and complement the stories very well.

 

For now, there are only four books in the collection. If Summit Books ever decides to continue with the series, though, I hope they will feature inspiring people who were successful in fields other than business or government. —KG, GMA News

 

The Dream Big Books are available in major bookstores nationwide.

 

Meann Ortiz is an engineer and freelance writer. She writes mostly about books, but also blogs about other things that interest her at The Girl Who Read and Other Stories. The opinions expressed in this review, which was based on copies provided by Summit Books, are solely her own.