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Bugtong Bugtong 2: More Filipino Riddles by Daniel Palma Tayona


Bugtong Bugtong 2: More Filipino Riddles
By Daniel Palma Tayona
Tahanan Books, 2013
A tribute to Rene O. Villanueva's 1998 classic book Bugtong, Bugtong

Riddle: Sariling-sarili mo na, ginagamit pa ng iba.
Answer: Pangalan!

This illustrated collection of 57 Filipino riddles is fun for everyone. I can definitely see a parent or child reading aloud from this book, trying to stump the rest of the family. I can see bored teens reading these riddles to each other too! I read some of the riddles to my teen students and some to my adult friends and there's just something so satisfying about seeing one triumphant face shout out the correct answer from among a group of confused faces.

I can also see a child poring over this book by his or herself. Everything about Bugtong Bugtong 2's book design is kid friendly: Everything from the type size and face to the book's size and the thickness of the paper make the book very inviting and easy to read. The ink and gouache illustrations are bright, simple, charming, and they not just provide clues to the riddles, they show the story of a day in the life of Oskar the (cute!) dog. 

Bugtong Bugtong 2 is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.

Daniel Palma Tayona poses with his book Bugtong Bugtong 2 

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