Pedro’s Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys

By Rob Peñas and Carl Angel

Informational Resources:

Author Information:
Rob Peñas’s biography
https://www.leeandlow.com/contributor/rob-penas/ 

Illustrator Information:
Interview with Carl Angel (25:44)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=c-GIorcrS9g 

Activities & Resources:

Teacher guide from the publisher
https://www.leeandlow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pedro's%20Yo-Yos%20Teacher's%20Guide.pdf 

Yo-yos:

15 Clever Yo-yo Tricks for All Skill Levels
https://www.weareteachers.com/yoyo-tricks/ 

World Yo-yo Contest official YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalYoYoFederation/videos 

Visit the Museum of Yo-yo History
https://www.yoyomuseum.com/index.php 

The physics of yo-yos (1:43)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=2IDVpIsykYM 

Yo-yo trivia
https://www.oxfordtechridge.com/Portal/Home/BlogPost/b057e2a6-573a-4ad4-a819-deff074fd177#:~:text=June%206th%20is%20National%20Yo,means%20%E2%80%9Ccome%2Dcome.%E2%80%9D 

The Philippines:

Facts about the Philippines
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/philippines 

Philippine Independence Day
https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/have-you-heard-of-philippine-independence-day 

5 interesting facts about the Philippines (2:34)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=jYunC8osnj0 

MakerSpace Activities:
Build your own yo-yo using recycled materials. 

Design the artwork for a yo-yo using the materials of your choice or this website: https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/have-you-heard-of-philippine-independence-day 

Cupcake liner yo-yo craft:
https://iheartcraftythings.com/cupcake-liner-yo-yo-kids-craft.html 

Make a yo-yo out of plastic bottle caps (5:19)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=5uoldaHVt0s 

Try doing some yo-yo tricks
https://duncantoys.com/pages/tutorial-videos?srsltid=AfmBOoqWkx8RL3_tG3X13CpPKYNkJhtbUVOLeSXSN20-UN9UqY0h-BGL

Create a yo-yo trick of your own and give it a name. 

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever played with a yo-yo? What was your experience? 

Are there any similarities in the Philippines in 1896 and other places or time in history? 

Why do you think the author chose to use the word “yoked” in the sentence “Yoked under this harsh rule, many Filipinos longed to gain freedom over their own lives?” 

How did the yo-yo get its name? Do you think the name is fitting? 

Do you think Spain made a good decision selling the Philippines to the United States? Why or why not?

How would you feel if you were in Pedro’s situation when they told Filipinos they must learn to read and speak in English? 

How did the highway that American engineers built change life for the people in Pedro’s province?

How do you think Pedro felt when he left for America at 15 years old? 

How did Pedro’s travels and experiences on steamships change his life? 

Do you think Pedro was more successful as a high school student because he was older than other students? Why or why not? 

How did investors help Pedro open more factories? 

What does it mean to say, “If it isn’t a Flores, it isn’t a yo-yo?” 

Why was the yo-yo called “The Wonder Toy?” 

How were Pedro’s yo-yo promotions different from the way other toys were advertised? 

How did Pedro help other Filipino immigrants? 

Why did Donald Duncan ask Pedro and his kabayan to stay with the company to promote the yo-yo? 

What is the significance of the word “yo-yo” being added to the dictionary? 

Why do you think the yo-yo is still a popular toy? 

How did Pedro Flores make a difference as just one person? 

Can you think of other toys that have continued to be popular over time, like the yo-yo? 

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the reader’s theater for Pedro’s Yo-yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys by Rob Peñas. 

Watch the book trailer on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.

Read Alikes: 

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Ford, Gilbert. The marvelous thing that came from a spring: the accidental invention of the toy that swept the nation. A story of the invention of an iconic American toy describes how engineer Richard James observed the remarkable movements of a coiled spring that fell from his desk. (NoveList Plus)

Barton, Chris. Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's super-soaking stream of inventions. Chronicles the life and achievements of the NASA engineer and inventor, from his childhood to his accidental invention of the Super Soaker water gun. (NoveList Plus)

Muirhead, Margaret. Flip! How the Frisbee took flight. Documents the historical origins of the modern Frisbee attributed to inventor Fred Morrison, revealing how people have tossed pie tins, flipped popcorn lids and thrown similarly shaped discs for entertainment and athletic purposes since ancient times. (NoveList Plus)

Aradhya, Kerry. Erno Rubik and his magic cube. Published to coincide with its 50th anniversary, this first-ever picture biography of the creator of the Rubik's Cube reveals how, in his quest to help his students understand 3D objects and how they move, he unexpectedly invented the most popular puzzle in history. (NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Booklist (February 1, 2024 (Vol. 120, No. 11))

Grades 1-3. Pedro Flores was a Filipino immigrant who brought the yo-yo to America and made it a worldwide phenomenon. In Peñas' informative picture book, he describes how Flores overcame the challenges of living under colonial rule, migrating to a new country in 1915, and starting his own business from scratch. Opportunity knocked on his door when an American family took interest in a yo-yo he made for their son. Soon, everyone’s interest was piqued, and Flores spent his time carving yo-yos at night and demonstrating tricks with them during the day. The yo-yo became a sensation, and he expanded his homemade business to several factories. Flores' determination and entrepreneurial spirit ensured that the yo-yo would capture the imagination of children and adults worldwide. The concise text, which nicely encapsulates key moments from Flores' life, is beautifully accompanied by Angel's naturalistic and expressive digital paintings, especially when depicting Flores' impressive yo-yo tricks. Robust back matter elaborates on Flores' life, the colonization of the Philippines, and the further history of the yo-yo.