Ride a little yellow jeepney through Cebu City
Real excited to share another book I illustrated for Dr. Joy Francisco. She heads a children’s book publisher called Little Yellow Jeepney based in San Diego, California. My first book with her was “The Bitter Melon”, an e-book she released in 2022. I also illustrated the 2nd edition of her namesake book, “Little Yellow Jeepney”, which explores several landmarks in Manila.
This latest book stars her “Little Yellow Jeepney” taking readers on a ride through Cebu City.
When Joy told me she’d be adding a Cebu book, taking her Little Yellow Jeepney from the streets of Manila to the “Queen City of the South,” it felt like a natural evolution for the series. For this book, I wanted the illustrations to capture what I see whenever I visit Cebu, which unfortunately isn’t as often as I’d like. I drew Colon St., a historic economic center of the city with people, cars, jeeps, taxis, and motorcycles making up the hustle and bustle of Cebu’s busy streets.
As you read the book, you and yours will make visits to urban historical areas as well as natural areas too. From the Lapu-Lapu statue in Lapu-Lapu City to Kawasan Falls on the southwestern side of Cebu island, you’ll find that Cebu is more than its historic urban centers. There is also a visit to natural areas sitting just outside of Cebu Island such as Apo Reef off the coast of Negros. Back in Cebu Osmena Peak rises more than 1,000 meters into the sky, while Cebu’s picturesque urban and natural coastlines are captured in a spread or two in the book. Something you can really appreciate when visiting Cebu by boat from other provinces.
I spent a lot of time sketching out the details of the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House as well as the curves of Fuente Osmeña Circle (close to where the old Larsian BBQ eateries once were), trying to make sure they felt recognizable to anyone who grew up there or has visited.
As with my previous work with Joy, I tucked in some personal touches into the artwork. I added a Badlit or Sulat Binisaya character in one of the pages – the “Si” character for Cebu. I’ve been learning how to write both in Baybayin and Badlit to connect with our literal past. And to help me create crowds or gatherings of multiple people, I pulled memories of relatives to guide my depictions of the crowds, I briefly remembered family members who are no longer with us, and enshrined likenesses of them in the art to honor them.
Parallel to the Cebu book, we’ve also been working on a project called “Bakit Why – Useful Phrases in Filipino”. It’s been a rewarding challenge to illustrate language in a way that feels approachable. There’s a line Dr. Joy wrote for that project that really guided my hand for both books: “To learn a language is to open a door to understanding others with empathy and curiosity.”
Whether it’s teaching a child how to say “Tara na!” or showing them the historic streets of Colon, the goal is the same: creating a mirror where Filipino children from around the world can see their heritage reflected in bright, bold colors – without having to pay for an expensive ticket to visit… for now.
I’m looking forward to seeing these hit the shelves, but the e-book for “Little Yellow Jeepney visits Cebu City” is now available. Huge thanks to Dr. Joy for the continued trust and for letting me help build this world.
Get the e-book at the Little Yellow Jeepney website: