Alyssa Solitario

Shoot

"Shoot", an illustrated children's book telling the story of a young girl in the Philippines.

“ Shoot is an illustrated children’s book that follows a young Filipina named Maya Flores who wishes to play basketball with her older brother and the rest the kids in her neighbourhood. Maya faces challenges as she attempts to join the team, but with the help of those closest to her, she will do anything to achieve the goal of becoming a basketball player. Maya’s story is a story of hard work, perseverance, belief in one’s self and the importance of familial support. The creation of the book Shoot is meant to contribute to adding more diversity in the media, from books to films. Though it is a story that is set in the Philippines and showcases Filipino characters, it still has a universal narrative that anyone can connect to no matter where they are from. Moreover, it is a didactic narrative that teaches younger readers that they can achieve their goals and dreams by putting their hearts into it and through their hard work. With this, it also serves as a lesson for parents about the importance of supporting a young child, their dreams, and how far motivating them can go. Not only that, Shoot also teaches readers a small part of the Philippines and its culture with the illustrations as well as the use of Tagalog words throughout the text. ”