The Magnificent Adventures of Folotjing: The Brave and Kindhearted

Rio N. Cortez

VERTEL PUB, Dec 10, 2019 - Juvenile Fiction - 28 pages

A hero is not always someone big and powerful. Regardless of how small you are, you can make a massive difference in the world. All that matters is the size of your heart.

Folotjing is a tiny enchanted creature who lives inside a big, magical tree. This is the story of his adventure in the deep, dark forest when he encounters terrifying beasts that want to eat him! But through the kindness of his heart and sharp wit, he makes them see their wickedness and convinces them to set him free, and they eventually become his friends. It shows that compassion is its own reward and that kindness begets a chain of itself.

Folotjing is a true hero despite his size, someone who is brave, kindhearted, and chooses to do the right thing, especially in the face of difficulty or danger.

How do I pronounce Folotjing?
Fo-lo-t-jing with the (t) or Fo-lo-jing without the (t), either way, is correct.

Note to Parents:
For children under the age of seven years old, I kindly suggest for parents to assist their child in reading the book. This book contains big words that might be beyond their comprehension, such as magnificent, dreaded, humility, mending, bullying, and terrorizing, just to name a few. This would be a valuable time for parents to interact with their children. To encourage their children to ask questions such as "What is a honeycomb?"; "What does paltry mean?", most importantly, "What is humility?" or "What do bullying and terrorizing mean?"; and parents should be open to explain and explore their meanings with their children.

The story of Folotjing is mainly about compassion and forgiveness and all other virtues that intertwine with love. Folotjing shows that courage fueled by kindness is a potent formula to change the world around us. He is an example that no matter how small we are, it is the size of our heart that matters.

The trap and the fish bone are symbolism; they show that even the most fearsome beasts in the forest are not safe from harm. It demonstrates that there is danger anywhere in our world and that we need each other's help to survive. And that we must be humble to ask for help and also accept it graciously when received.

Folotjing teaches us to be compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others, that when faced with a fork on the road, we choose the path to kindness.

To learn more, please visit Folotjing on the web at https: //www.folotjing.com/

What people are saying

User Review -

Reviewed by Jessica Barbosa for Readers' Favorite
The Magnificent Adventures of Folotjing - The Brave and Kindhearted is a children’s book by Rio N. Cortez. The story focuses on a small, plump Dwendi named Folotjing who lives in a tree and is as fragrant as a mango. He plays and prepares for winter like a good Dwendi but often gets into trouble because of his small and vulnerable size. He attracts predators and trouble because of his tiny stature, but maybe everything will turn out all right in the end, because Folotjing is brave and smart, but most of all, he is kind.
The Magnificent Adventures of Folotjing - The Brave and Kindhearted is a well-intended, adorable, and wonderfully drawn and written book by Rio. N Cortez. The illustrations are colorful and they definitely caught my eye. Cortez’s illustrations are sure to attract and entertain its target audience. I found it to be a visually appealing book that has many important lessons to be learned. The story itself is short, to the point, and very sweet. Folotjing is easily captured because of his height and size but he makes up for it by being sharp, brave, and oh-so-kind.
We have learned in life that it is not easy to forgive someone who means to cause you harm and Cortez skillfully presents this dilemma in a short but concise way. When Folotjing hesitates before helping the bear, I sympathized with him. It is realistic and smart to stop and think first before you head back into possible danger, but even though the bear first intended to do harm on the small Dwendi, Folotjing still goes back to help him anyway. Folotjing’s actions teach me the importance of a good heart. I think this book is outstanding because it managed to convey such important lessons in two short stories. Truly a marvelous work, good job! 

User Review -

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Magical Adventures of Folotjing – The Brave and Kindhearted is a fantastically whimsical picture book written for children, and it was penned and illustrated by author Rio N. Cortez. Focusing on plot themes such as the power of kindness, mind over matter, and the true nature of heroic acts, this is an engaging read with high levels of visual stimulation in its gorgeous accompanying artwork. Folotjing is a dwendi, a creature from Filipino folklore who is tiny and magical, and whom only children can see. In this adventure, which takes place in a dark forest, our little friend shows immense bravery and wins the day through kindness despite the dangers he faces.
Author and illustrator Rio N. Cortez has created an utterly delightful story from start to finish with the immersive and truly beautiful stories of Folotjing. The sweet little dwendi is charming, both in the colorful and sepia-toned pages of the picture book and in the lovingly crafted poetic verses and dialogue where he shows his incredible kindness. The moment with the wolf melted my heart from the off. There is a rhyme scheme that keeps the readability flowing for younger, accompanied readers to the book, but it also never interferes with the language usage and the scheme changes to fit different moments of the story. Deceptively complex in its creation, this gives each moment of the tale a different atmospheric feel whilst also staying simple enough for younger readers to access it. Overall, The Magical Adventures of Folotjing – The Brave and Kindhearted is an unmissable picture book that every child should own. 

About the author

Hi! My name is Rio N. Cortez, and I'm a children's book author, illustrator, husband, father, and an aspiring farmer. Farming is probably not on my parents' list of what I would be doing with my life, but neither is being an author and yet here I am. I am a firm believer that whatever you set your heart and mind to believe, you will achieve. Family time is the highlight of my day; time to recharge, get comfortable and simply be me - how I enjoy the soothing laughter of my wife and children. The best time for me to write colorful stories and create fantastic drawings that breathe life to my characters is at this moment of divine inspiration. The essence of this book and the series that will follow it hails from my own true-life experiences. My mother's love was the hand that planted the seed of creativity in my soul that inspired this book to sprout. May you enjoy this book as much as I've relished writing and illustrating it for you. Always be brave, listen to your heart, and believe in yourself - and your dreams will fulfill on their own.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Magnificent Adventures of Folotjing: The Brave and Kindhearted
• Author: Rio N. Cortez
• Illustrated by: Rio N. Cortez
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: VERTEL PUB, 2019
• ISBN: 1641115947, 9781641115940
• Length: 28 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General; Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / General