Children of different abilities and backgrounds should see themselves represented in the books they read, according to author and publishing executive Segundo Matias Jr., who is calling for greater inclusivity in children’s literature.
Matias said children should see themselves and others represented in the books and learning materials they encounter, noting that children with disabilities can easily be overlooked when representations are limited to what is considered “typical.”
His advocacy for greater inclusivity is reflected in Lampara Books’ presentation at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) 2026, where the publisher’s booth, posters, and tickets feature children with disabilities as well as children from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The initiative was partly inspired by Matias’ own experience with ADHD and a realization he had while listening to a Department of Education discussion about representation in textbooks. He recalled questioning why illustrations often show children with complete limbs when children with disabilities are also part of classrooms and communities.
“Bakit puro kumpleto ‘yung kamay? Samantala, sa totoong buhay, meron naman talagang putol ang kamay,” Matias said.
For him, the issue goes beyond representation. When children are consistently left out of the stories and images around them, they can also feel that they do not belong that could affect their self-esteem.
“They’re being left out,” he said. “They need to be accepted and understood.”
For Matias, inclusion should not only mean making space for children with disabilities but also helping other children understand and accept them.
Matias believes books can play an important role in teaching that acceptance. He pointed to people with disabilities who have become writers, singers, painters, and professionals as examples of the talent that can be overlooked when they are not included.
This is the thinking behind the MIBF 2026 designs, which move beyond portraying only traditionally represented children. For Matias, showing children with different abilities and backgrounds is a way of reflecting the world as it is.
“Sinimulan ko na hindi lang mga batang typical ang ipinakita ko rito kundi iba’t ibang klase ng bata kasi ‘yun ang mundo,” he said.
The push for inclusivity will also extend to the stories Lampara Books seeks to publish. Matias said the company is open to stories featuring people with different disabilities and experiences, including blindness, Down syndrome, ADHD, and autism, just to name a few.
“We welcome those,” he said. “Let’s include them.”
For Matias, making children’s literature more inclusive is also part of addressing the wider challenge of encouraging children to read. Books that reflect different experiences, he believes, can help more children find themselves in stories while helping others better understand people whose experiences may be different from their own.
At MIBF 2026, that vision is being presented not simply as a design theme, but as a call to make children’s literature more reflective of the diverse children it hopes to reach.
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