Marikit and the Ocean of Stars
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sweet, quirky quest tale steeped in Filipino folklore.
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What's the Story?
In MARIKIT AND THE OCEAN OF STARS, it's almost Marikit's 10th birthday and, more than anything, she wants her seamstress mother to make her a fancy blue dress, fancy enough that she looks like a diwata/fairy. When the day arrives, her mother unveils a dress made of scraps and covered in mismatched pockets. Marikit swears she won't wear it, until cruel Shadows come for her and try to take her away. That's when Marikit learns a secret about her mother: She can sew with magic and she's not really human, she's a diwata. While her mother fends off the Shadows with her powers, Marikit runs for the land of the Engkantos/enchanted creatures. Here she begins her dangerous journey to become a diwata and discovers she won't get anywhere without her dress made of scraps. Not only did her mother sew it with magic thread, she also made it into a map to keep Marikit out of danger, complete with a needle to point her way and an X to show her final destination.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet, sometimes quirky quest tale with a very relatable female hero brings exciting elements of Filipino folklore to life. Marikit is every kid who's full of envy at a rich girl's birthday party and annoyance at her mom for not getting her birthday dress just right. In fact, her naynay (mom) gets it horribly wrong, or so Marikit thinks. The genius of the scrappy dress is revealed in the land of Engkantos. It's got a needle for a compass and lets Marikit know when she's headed toward danger. Of course, Marikit doesn't always follow Mom's rules or the warnings of other fantastical characters, like a sweet firefly creature who follows her. Watch out when Marikit takes off the dress to let it dry, when she waves at giants to be polite, and when she heads into a mysterious city trapped in a bottle. Things get extra nail-biting exciting when the sinister wolf-like aswang creatures are in pursuit.
Marikit and the Ocean of Stars would make a fantastic family read-aloud for fans of fairy tales. (If you get stuck on some of the Filipino words as you go along, bookmark the glossary -- it includes pronunciations.) The story moves at a good pace and Marikit makes some curious and quirky friends to root for, like a lazy boy waking up from a curse and a sheltered girl who catches on fire in the sun. She meets some prickly deities, too, like the goddess of the waters who doesn't see why Marikit wants to save her friends and family. She also learns to tame her green envy monster and makes some decisions about what matters to her, decisions that will really resonate with families. The writing is at its lyrical best at the beginning of the story and focuses less on pretty prose as the story ramps up. That said, readers probably won't mind this shift by story's end. It's about as "happily ever after" as it gets.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Marikit's desire for a blue birthday dress in Marikit and the Ocean of Stars. What kinds of emotions does it stir in her when she doesn't get one? When does her desire for a dress begin to change? Whom does she meet?
Many kids don't have the means to get the fanciest dresses and lots of new clothes. Does it help to meet characters in books that struggle with the same things and the same feelings about it?
What did you know about Filipino folklore and gods before reading this book? Who was your favorite magical creature? Did you find the aswangs scary? Do you think if you heard stories your whole life about the shapeshifting canines that you would be more frightened of them reading this story or less?
Book Details
- Author: Caris Avendaño Cruz
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Bugs , Fairy Tales , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Courage , Gratitude , Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date: October 18, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 336
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: October 13, 2022
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