Time to Shine - a Filipino American Family Story

✨ What if the key to embracing who you are was hidden inside a glowing star?

In this heartfelt picture book, Tala, a young Filipino American girl, becomes fascinated with the traditional parol star lantern. Her curiosity sparks a journey that brings three generations together to re-discover their roots, share traditions, and shine brightly for all to see.

Now available in a special edition 10”x10” hardcover with Educator & Parent Guide. Time to Shine is a radiant celebration of family traditions, and the courage to be yourself.

As Tala proudly declares:
"I like being Filipino and American. I like being different. I like being me!"

When their lantern glows in the window, it becomes more than decoration—it’s a beacon of hope, heritage, and cultural pride.

Time to Shine offers:

• Gentle ways to talk about identity and belonging
• Inspiration to embrace family traditions
• Meaningful conversations about the immigrant experience

Time to Shine is perfect for readers ages 6–10, families navigating multicultural experiences, and classrooms or homeschools celebrating Filipino-American History Month, or Asian American Pacific Islander Month (AAPI).

Add Time to Shine to your library today and spark conversations about culture, pride, and community—no matter where you call home.

As the daughter of Filipino immigrants and mother of six children, Stephanie writes stories that connect generations to promote a sense of worth and belonging.

Her public health background, combined with her love for children, uniquely propels her to take action to reverse the devastating mental health effects of assimilation and colonial mentality one story at a time.

Stephanie believes telling these stories can spark much needed discussion in countless struggling families and communities, having the potential to become a source of healing and hope for current and future generations of Filipino families in the diaspora.

Geri Benz is a children's book designer, fine artist, graphic designer, wife and mother. She is a Fines Arts Painting major from the University of the Philippines-Cebu. She has shared her love for the visual arts through several summer art workshops in the Philippines and at the Philippine Consulate in Chicago. A native of Ormoc City, she has also taught street and indigent children through a partnership with the local DSWD and World Vision chapters, rooted in the belief that art should be made accessible to all. For her day job she has worked as a graphic designer in Manila, Cebu, Shenzhen and now a children’s book designer in Chicago. As a visual artist, she has exhibited in the Philippines, Chicago and Evanston. She founded Sinag, an 80 member art collective of Filipino-American Artists in the Chicago area. Thru Sinag she organized the biggest exhibit of Filipino-American artists based in Chicago and Greater Chicago April in 2024.