Trilingual children's book, off the press

 By Jessica Noeline Domingo Gross

 Darmstadt,Germany

A delightful new children's book titled "Maria's Dream Beyond the Stars" has just been released in three languages: English, Filipino, and German in March.

Cover of the book "Maria's Dream, Beyond the Stars" [Photo by Jessica Gross]

The initiative is designed to spread the joy of storytelling among young readers and promote the love for literature across diverse communities.The book was launched at a cozy event at Le  Café Bleu in Darmstadt, where friends and family of the 

author gathered alongside parents and young book  

enthusiasts to celebrate the beauty of multilingual storytelling. 

Young and old book enthusiasts at Renker´s book launch. (Photo by Jessica Gross)

"Maria's Dream, Beyond the Stars" follows the adventures of a bright and determined young girl who dreams of exploring space.

Ilongga author Maria Renker with her new book [Photo by Jessica Gross]

Inspired by real-life stories of Filipinos breaking barriers, this heartwarming tale encourages young readers to believe in their dream, embrace curiosity and never stop reaching for the stars.

Ilongga author Maria Renker, drew inspiration from cherished memories of her mother, a physicist and teacher.

She recalls her mother's belief that "language helps shape destiny and serves as foundation for ambition  and goals," an outlook that has fueled her dream of exploring space.

The book's trilingual format is part of a 

growing movement to promote Filipino language and prevent its decline. 

Many children of Filipino descent, 

whether fully Filipino or half Filipino and half German, are primarily exposed to German language. As a result, the use of the Filipino language is at risk of diminishing in daily life.

Filipino is powerful because it is strong, deeply relatable and emotional – it speaks to the heart.

In Maria’s Dream Beyond the Stars, words like pangarap (dream), bituin (star), and gabay (guide) carry rich meaning. 

The storytelling is simple and warm, like a parent speaking to a child, using familiar dialogue and symbolslike stars to represent dreams. 

Metaphors, repetition, and a nurturing tone make complex ideas like space and science easy and inspiring for young readers to understand.

"I´m happy for Maria, for me her book is a bit interesting because she wrote in three languages..… " Charlotte  Loevenich, a parent from Heidelberg said. 

Another parent, Ailene Seidenspinner from Mühlheim am Main, added that, "Ihr Buch zeigt, dass man auch im fortgeschrittenen Alter noch von aufregenden Dingen träumen darf. Mit Ausdauer kann man seine Ziele erreichen." (The book shows that even in advanced age, you can still dream of exciting things. With perseverance you can achieve your goals.")

The author Maria Renker, 2nd from left, with Jessica Gross of Pinoy Portal Europe, middle.

Illustrator Ma Emma Kathryn, who brought the book´s characters to life with vibrant watercolor-style drawings, emphasized the need for more representation in children´s literature.

“Our stories should reflect our communities. Seeing a book in Tagalog alongside 

English and German is a step toward making literature more inclusive for young readers,“ the illustrator said. 

The launch concluded with a book signing. 

The launch concluded with a book signing. (Video by Jessica Gross)

Publishing house MRenkers also announced plans to translate the book into other regional 

dialects, including Hiligaynon. 

With the successful launch of Maria´s 

Dream Beyond the Stars, guests are 

hopeful that more multilingual books will 

be introduced,helping children embrace

the beauty of language and storytelling. 

Meanwhile, the Philippines will be the Guest of Honor in the  77th Frankfurt Book Fair that will feature over 4,000 exhibitors around the world. This is the first time that the Philippines is accorded the special recognition in the world's largest book fair. 

In an earlier announcement, the National Book Development Board Philippines said this will be a "historic moment for Filipino storytelling" that "will showcase the depth and diversity of Philippine literature to the world."  

The international book fair will be held from October 15-19 in Messe, Frankfurt, Germany 

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