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A Celebration of Irish and Filipino Culture May 22, 2004
"Like Tommy, every multi-cultural child can come to understand that they are even more special and enriched by their dual heritage."
Natalie Gonzales-Sullaway wrote Sungka and Smiling Irish Eyes for her son Patrick. Even the pictures in the story were modeled on her own family. Natalie wanted to write the book for kids everywhere who are living in a multi-cultural family. One of the main ideas in this book is that a loving family comes in all cultures and colors.
The story begins in a contemporary setting and as Tommy is feeding his pet lizard, he hears a loud crashing sound outside. After looking out the window he sees his Filipino-born grandparents arriving and they are carrying boxes of toys, dishes and books.
Tommy's father is Irish-American and his mother is Filipino-American. Tommy is just starting to learn about his cultural heritage and during dinner he learns about the sumptuous meals made by Filipino and Irish peoples.
Tommy's grandmother brings a game called "Sungka" but no one has time to play the game because they are all getting ready for dinner. By the end of the evening Tommy finally gets to play more games of Sungka and also learns about Irish festivals and folklore. Some of the items discussed are illustrated above the characters.
There are pictures of the family eating dinner and communicating with each other throughout the house. This book will more than likely cause children to become very curious about their own cultural heritage.
I've found very few books about multicultural families and when I've given this type of book away to a family the response is always: "We can never find these types of stories." So, Natalie is on the right path here and I hope she creates an entire series of books for children in multiracial families.
Natalie Gonzales-Sullaway, MS, is executive director of Vocational Skills Services, a non-profit organization that provides job training.
~The Rebecca Review
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