Bunso Meets a Duwende

K-Gr 3–The author-illustrator of Bunso Meets a Mumu is back with a new story. Bunso’s father traditionally makes the family’s favorite food for their annual Filipino celebration of Thanksgiving, called Kamayan. This year, the festivities appear to be ruined as the ube halaya is missing from the table. Where has it gone? Lola, Bunso’s grandmother, suggests the delicious food was taken by a duwende, a gnomelike creature in Filipino folklore that loves to trick people and hide their belongings. It’s up to Bunso to attempt to save the day by hunting down the offending duwende and taking back the favored food. After much effort, Bunso discovers where the duwende has taken the ube halaya, but is left with a dilemma: should he return the food to his family or leave it with the duwendes, as they also love it? The comic book style of illustrations with speech bubbles and a great deal of colorful action is engaging and highly entertaining. A recipe for the coveted dish is included, along with a glossary of words used in the story that were undefined within the text. VERDICT Valdez continues to captivate youngsters with tales about Filipino culture and folklore.–Maryann H. Owen