Jojo loves going to the cultural center. There his Lola (grandmother) teaches people how to dance the tinikling. Jojo loves watching the clappers tap-slide the bamboo sticks as the dancers’ bare feet jump in and out between them.
There’s a lot of laughter and fun. But no matter how hard he tries to dance, Jojo trips over his feet. Lola makes it looks so easy. She learned to dance the tinikling in the Philippines and now here in America, she dances hip hop with new friends. She easily navigates their Filipino and American worlds.
But Jojo is also moving between two worlds, honoring his Filipino traditions at home and learning new ones with his American friends. And soon he is able to master the tinikling and dance with Lola.

•Back matter includes information on the history of the tinikling dance

Bobbie Peyton is a Filipina American writer with an MFA in writing for children and young
adults from Hamline University. She lives in Ashland, Oregon.

Diobelle Cerna is a Filipina illustrator based in the Philippines. She has a passion for visual
storytelling, creating scenes that capture life’s magical mundane moments.

Author: Bobbie Peyton, Illustrator: Diobelle Cerna

Hardcover, 32 Pages, Ages 4 to 8. Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, August 15, 2023.