Editor’s note: #RapplerReads is a project by the BrandRap team. The books featured in this list were provided by our partner, Looking for Juan. We earn a commission every time you shop through the affiliate links below.

There’s no field a woman has not yet conquered, literature included. From the greats such as the Brontë sisters and Paz Marquez-Benitez to the contemporary likes of Louise Glück and Jessica Hagedorn, we can say without batting an eyelash that women do their fair share of running (and writing for) the world.

And at online store Looking for Juan (LFJ), women dominate not only its roster of authors and illustrators, but also its employees – that’s six out of seven staff. This makes it easier for them and their publishing partner, CANVAS, to depict women accurately in their children’s stories, and be in charge of charting their narratives.

“Women in both the art and/or literacy scenes are now the ones creating meaningful, distinct, and inspiring works. The prevailing notion of seeing, understanding, and learning things only through the male lens should be put to rest because women have also been contributing significantly to arts and literature. People continuously draw inspiration from women’s works’ ideas, beliefs, lives, and struggles,” said Larissa Chavez, LFJ’s CEO.

This determination drives everyone (and Juana) at LFJ to collaborate with more female artists and writers, as they know that the crusade for “women’s rights and representation in the arts” has a long way to go.

LFJ’s 2022 is just getting started, however. Aside from fostering girl power, more projects lined up include touching “on narratives of nationhood and connectedness,” as well as releasing new CANVAS books in the coming months – including a “timely story considering the upcoming elections” and “a cooking book for Filipino kids.”

For now, let’s celebrate Women’s Month by appreciating female artistry through LFJ and CANVAS’ shining works, as penned and illustrated by women:

Nadia and the Blue Stars

Written by Francesca Nicole Chan Torres

Illustrated by Liv Vinluan

Daughter and the Great Fish

Written by Loren Peria

Illustrated by Jeho Betancor

Earth Tales: 3 Ecofables for Children

Illustrated by Plet Bolipata, Liza Flores, and Ivee Olivares-Mellor

Mga Munting Patak ng Ulan

Written by Jessica Olmedo

Illustrated by Alee Garibay

As Jessica’s first children’s book, the story drew from her experiences in pursuing her dreams, as represented through a tiny raindrop. Garibay, on the other hand, said of her design inspiration: “I have always been drawn to the nostalgic, cinematic, even magical quality of old Filipiniana photos and a lot of my paintings incorporate imagery based on these photos.”

Tahan na, Tahanan

Written by Maria Isabel Alarilla Arellano

Ang Anghel ng Sta. Ana

Written by Josephine de Dios

Illustrated by Johanna Helmuth

Si Ponyang at ang Lihim ng Kweba

Illustrated by Sarah Geneblazo

Artist Sarah Geneblazo animates Melvin Atole’s winning story by depicting Ponyang’s silent but free-willed personality through her realistic, contemporary, and feminist artworks.

An engaging and captivating piece of art can be a girl’s first frontier into self-exploration.

One of the author-illustrators, Liza Flores, framed it perfectly: “For many children, especially here in the Philippines, their first encounter with art is the picture book. So for young girls to see Filipina artists creating these pictures can also open their mind to what is possible for them.”

The liminal space between art and literature has enough room for women who dare defy convention and judgment. And by grabbing a copy for a loved one, or to empower the self, you are helping the cause make great strides. – Rappler.com

All of these works were published by CANVAS, and are sold through Looking for Juan as its e-commerce partner. Each purchase is matched with donations to children in different parts of the country through their “Buy 1, Donate Books to Juan” program. To date, over 420,184 books have been donated, with the goal of hitting 1 million.