Book 4: Hardcover - Jennalyn's MASARAP Adventure
What if every Filipino dish could tell a story?
Join Jennalyn, her godbrother James, and her lovable companion Shaka the Turtle for a masarap adventure filled with delicious food, treasured traditions, family memories, and discoveries about what it means to stay connected to your roots.
In Book Four of the Jennalyn’s Mabuhay Adventures series, Jennalyn discovers that Filipino food is about much more than what is served on the table. Every recipe can carry a memory. Every gathering can strengthen a family. And every shared meal can become a story worth passing on.
With James visiting from the Netherlands, the two kinakapatid—god-siblings—set off on a delicious journey together. They learn to make the wonderfully sour Filipino comfort food sinigang, explore different versions of adobo, experience the excitement of Filipino street food, discover kamayan during a festive boodle fight, and celebrate with a Filipino feast overflowing with favorites such as lechon, pancit, lumpia, kare-kare, and more.
Along the way, Jennalyn learns something even more meaningful: Filipino families can extend far beyond relatives. Through Ninongs, Ninangs, god-siblings, lifelong friends, and loved ones across generations, children discover the special people who help guide, encourage, and care for them. The story celebrates these bonds and reminds young readers that family can also be built through promises, traditions, and love.
But this masarap adventure has another important ingredient—caring for our planet.
Shaka helps Jennalyn and James connect their adventures to remarkable marine animals, including the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Green Humphead Parrotfish, manta ray, giant clam, and other threatened or endangered species. As the children learn why these animals need protection, they discover that preserving nature and preserving traditions have something in common: both depend on the next generation caring enough to protect them.
The adventure builds toward Lola Josie’s joyful Filipino Pride birthday celebration—a gathering filled with family, Filipino food, karaoke, games, laughter, and gratitude for time spent together. Before James returns home to the Netherlands, the children share one final adventure at a marine park, bringing together the lessons and memories they have collected along the way.
Young readers will discover:
- Filipino foods and family traditions
- Tagalog words and phrases woven naturally throughout the story
- The special roles of Ninongs, Ninangs, and god-siblings
- Filipino values such as bayanihan, sharing, courage, gratitude, and respect
- Fascinating marine animals and the importance of protecting their habitats
- How food can connect generations, cultures, and families across the world
And the adventure continues beyond the story! Shaka’s Helpful Hand provides meanings and pronunciations for Filipino words, while hidden QR codes throughout the book unlock extra pieces of Jennalyn’s journey. The illustrated glossary also introduces children to words and cultural concepts such as adobo, almusal, bayanihan, balut, and boodle fight.
Perfect for Filipino and Filipino-American families, multicultural classrooms, young cultural explorers, and anyone who believes the best memories are often made around the table.
Because sometimes the most important ingredient isn’t found in a recipe.
It’s love.
Kain tayo! Let’s eat—and let the adventure begin!
