As we welcome the new year, we’re excited to share insights from the authors of some beloved books in the Rizal Center Pamana Children’s Library. This January, we’re featuring a special book, Super Maya, by Ms. Bambi A. Rodriguez. Read her article to learn more about the inspiration behind Super Maya and the story that captures young imaginations.
The Stories We Tell by Bambi A. Rodriguez
I was a quiet child and had always found my solace and escape in reading and books. I would read my favorite stories from home and school, over and over, enjoying the colorful images on their pages as well as the adventures that they created in my mind.
As an adult, I wanted to help bring my experience of stories to children, but I did not know how to do so. I once visited a public elementary school in the Philippines where the kids were eager to read and learn but did not have access to a wide variety of materials, so they would reread old books and magazines. It was soon after that when I would regularly ask friends and family for book donations to give to various school libraries and day care centers.
In 2022 and 2023, I came out with my own children’s books, “Super Maya” and “Super Maya and Her Amazing Ears!” and it has brought together two advocacies that are very close to my heart.
The Super Maya books were written to increase awareness about the experiences of people who are Hard of Hearing (HOH), because I myself am hard of hearing. I needed to find a way to share what I was going through and how others could help me. At the same time, it has allowed me to share my books, tell stories to children (and adults!) and help enhance literacy and promote the enjoyment of reading!
I had initially written the books as something that I could just share with family and friends, so it is very humbling and heartwarming to find out that more and more people want to learn about “Super Maya” and her message.
It is also very exciting to know that “Super Maya” is now reaching children in different parts of the world. I learned last year that it is already a part of the Pamana Library in Chicago. Just the thought that more pinoy kids will be able to learn about Maya and her journey and will be able to see themselves represented in the books (they are written in English and Filipino), is very thrilling and exciting for me. I hope that through the Super Maya books, they will also learn more about diversity, inclusion, understanding and being kind to others, especially those who are different from them.
I hope that through these stories, I am able to help those who are unable to speak up for themselves. I hope that I am able to do our shared experience some justice and that they see themselves in the stories I tell.
On the first day of 2025, I look forward to more opportunities to tell Maya’s stories and to spread her message to even more people around the Philippines and around the world. If I am lucky, I will have more and more kids and adults come up to me and tell me that these books made a difference in their lives or maybe in the life of someone they love 💕.
Maria Elena “Bambi” A. Rodriguez has an MA in Special Education from San Francisco University. SHe is a former preschool special education teacher, and her passion is working with kids with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). She is also an advocate for children who are hard of hearing (HOH) Bambi is hard of hearing herself and wears hearing aids. Her books reflect some of her own experiences. She hopes that her stories will show how important it is that families, teachers and other specialists work together to support early identification and intervention.
Connect with Ms. Bambi and follow Super Maya’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
Read about Pamana Children’s Library story and our mission by visiting our page on the Rizal Center website: https://rizalcenter.org/programs/pamana-childrens-library/.
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At Pamana, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling and the joy of books to connect generations and celebrate cultural identity. Our mission is to inspire young minds by sharing the rich traditions, values, and stories of the Philippines, fostering a sense of community. Since our opening in December 2023, our dedicated volunteers have engaged Filipino families in the greater Chicago area through enriching story times and cultural events.
To sustain these vital programs, we kindly ask for your support through one-time or monthly donations. Your contributions directly benefit the children and families we serve.
As the program of the Rizal Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations may be tax-deductible.
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