There’s something about fables that makes it easier to teach values to children – and Gaya’s Gift, a story of a carabao who believes that she does not have any special talent is one of those modern day fables that help mothers like me share the value of self worth to my children.
Written by Jenny Evans and illustrated by Junn Esteban, the story follows Gaya in her distraught and confused state. She tells herself that there must be more to life than spending time soaking in the muddy river. She wanted to learn how to fly like Ina Ibon (bird). She tried to learn how to float like Pearly Pato (duck) and hopped like Noni Kuneho (rabbit). In all three attempts, she failed and embarrased herself.
A wisdomed pig named Boy Baboy (which sort of remind of Wilbur in “Charlotte’s Web” and Babe in the movie “Babe” and “Babe: Pig in the City”) was the creature that reminded her of her worth just when her master Mang Juan called on her to transport his sickly wife to the town clinic.
Gaya pulled the sled where Mang Juan’s wife was seated and as as she walked towards town, she heard Noni Kuneho said nobody else can do what Gaya can do. Gaya then realized that she has a talent, a difference that only she can make.
This is a very easy book to read even to toddlers. This is my children’s morning book. I read this last March 25 during the Story Hours session with children from barangays Banilad and Lahug in Cebu and some walk-in participants at the J Centre Mall.
I made stick puppets of the animals by printing out black and white cartoons of a bird, a duck, a carabao, a rabbit and a pig from the Internet. I made sure they closely resemble the ones in the book. I had my twins help me color them. I cut them out and then glued them on carboard, let the glue dry before cutting them out again. I attached pencils to the back of the cardboard using packaging tape. The pencils served as holders to make them as stick puppets.
They became great props during my read-aloud/story bag strategy in storytelling as I ask one child after another to pick the animal I described as I moved along in the story.
The story of “Gaya’s Gift” is a fitting literature when you want to teach the value of self-worth and self believe in your children…. that they don’t need to be someone else to prove their worth… that they need to stand up tall and proud of their innate talents and strengths because these will help them succeed.
I would have preferred to have a cat or a dog instead of a rabbit for the main reason that I was envisioning a farm in the Philippines and I was thinking a dog or a cat may make more sense than a rabbit. But then again, the author is a foreigner so a rabbit is probably what she had in mind when she wrote the story.
I love how the character of the pig was inserted in the entire story. Boy Baboy told Gaya that the trick in life is to never give up and to always do your best in whatever you do. Great wisdom from an animal which would soon turn into lechon!
I would recommend this book as a morning read or a book to read when your children are fully awake. I suggest doing an activity after this session. I created a worksheet called “My Super Talents” where they can decorate or color the outline of a human being with what they perceive as their talents or gifts. Then, they can share to their siblings (or their classmates in the case of the classroom) what they think are their talents. You can even follow this up with a story writing session where the children create story about their super talents.
I love fables because when animals are anthropomorphized (given human qualities) children are fascinated and amazed.
“Why is there a talking carabao?” my three-year-old Nicholas Louis asked the question the first time he encountered this story.
Stories like Gaya’s gift open the floor to questions and discussion – that’s a very healthy way to live your day.
