Once when he was little…
       
     
when the night was growing deep and he was not at all ready for bed — No, no no, the boy whimpered
       
     
— his father told him his secret name. “You are Ngayam,” said his father. And the boy asked, “What does it mean?” “It means you are a great hunter, a mangangayam.” “What does a mangangayam do?”
       
     
His father told the boy that a mangangayam is brave. A brave boy that hunts. A boy that hunts monsters. A boy that is never, never afraid.
       
     
It is his destiny to be a great hunter of monsters, his father gently said, bidding him sweet dreams. “I am Ngayam,” said the boy in the sudden dark of his room, liking very much his secret name.
       
     
And before he closed his eyes that night, he saw the moon outside his window was shining brighter tonight…
       
     
…and somewhere in the distance he heard the kruk-kruk-kruk of strange birds calling for the moon…
       
     
And then, almost all at once, there grew everywhere all kinds of trees and vines and grass…
       
     
…and the little boy’s bed was like a tiny boat in this vast sea of green. He gulped.
       
     
“I am Ngayam!” said the boy. And the trees and the vines and the grass stopped growing.
       
     
The boy decided to jump off his bed, and waded through the thick grass. In the distance, there was the rough sound of rustling leaves, and the boy gulped.
       
     
“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the wakwak dipped its wings… and they became friends. Together they went deeper into the grass.
       
     
“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the sigbin yelped and panted… and they became friends. Together they all went deeper into the grass.
       
     
“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the tikbalang whinnied and brayed… and they became friends. Together they all chased the fireflies and went deeper into the grass
       
     
Soon the boy said, “I am tired,” and yawned a great, huge yawn. And in a sleepy voice, he muttered, “I am Ngayam, the hunter of monsters.” “Yes, you are!” said his friends.
       
     
And in the light of the waning moon, the wakwak and the sigbin and the tikbalang carried him back to the bed that was like a tiny boat in a vast sea of green,
       
     
Once when he was little…
       
     
+
Once when he was little…

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

when the night was growing deep and he was not at all ready for bed — No, no no, the boy whimpered
       
     
+
when the night was growing deep and he was not at all ready for bed — No, no no, the boy whimpered

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

— his father told him his secret name. “You are Ngayam,” said his father. And the boy asked, “What does it mean?” “It means you are a great hunter, a mangangayam.” “What does a mangangayam do?”
       
     
+
— his father told him his secret name. “You are Ngayam,” said his father. And the boy asked, “What does it mean?” “It means you are a great hunter, a mangangayam.” “What does a mangangayam do?”

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

His father told the boy that a mangangayam is brave. A brave boy that hunts. A boy that hunts monsters. A boy that is never, never afraid.
       
     
+
His father told the boy that a mangangayam is brave. A brave boy that hunts. A boy that hunts monsters. A boy that is never, never afraid.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

It is his destiny to be a great hunter of monsters, his father gently said, bidding him sweet dreams. “I am Ngayam,” said the boy in the sudden dark of his room, liking very much his secret name.
       
     
+
It is his destiny to be a great hunter of monsters, his father gently said, bidding him sweet dreams. “I am Ngayam,” said the boy in the sudden dark of his room, liking very much his secret name.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

And before he closed his eyes that night, he saw the moon outside his window was shining brighter tonight…
       
     
+
And before he closed his eyes that night, he saw the moon outside his window was shining brighter tonight…

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

…and somewhere in the distance he heard the kruk-kruk-kruk of strange birds calling for the moon…
       
     
+
…and somewhere in the distance he heard the kruk-kruk-kruk of strange birds calling for the moon…

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

And then, almost all at once, there grew everywhere all kinds of trees and vines and grass…
       
     
+
And then, almost all at once, there grew everywhere all kinds of trees and vines and grass…

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

…and the little boy’s bed was like a tiny boat in this vast sea of green. He gulped.
       
     
+
…and the little boy’s bed was like a tiny boat in this vast sea of green. He gulped.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

“I am Ngayam!” said the boy. And the trees and the vines and the grass stopped growing.
       
     
+
“I am Ngayam!” said the boy. And the trees and the vines and the grass stopped growing.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

The boy decided to jump off his bed, and waded through the thick grass. In the distance, there was the rough sound of rustling leaves, and the boy gulped.
       
     
+
The boy decided to jump off his bed, and waded through the thick grass. In the distance, there was the rough sound of rustling leaves, and the boy gulped.

The shadows moved, and the boy saw a wakwak, a bird-like creature, flying low. Kree-kree-kree, the wakwak said.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the wakwak dipped its wings… and they became friends. Together they went deeper into the grass.
       
     
+
“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the wakwak dipped its wings… and they became friends. Together they went deeper into the grass.

Soon the shadows moved again, and the boy saw a sigbin, a dog-like creature, growling behind an acacia tree. Garrrrrr-garrrrr-garrrrr, the sigbin said.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the sigbin yelped and panted… and they became friends. Together they all went deeper into the grass.
       
     
+
“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the sigbin yelped and panted… and they became friends. Together they all went deeper into the grass.

Soon the shadows moved again, and the boy saw a tikbalang, a horse-like creature, chasing fireflies. Myeeeee-myeeeee-myeeeee the tikbalang said.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the tikbalang whinnied and brayed… and they became friends. Together they all chased the fireflies and went deeper into the grass
       
     
+
“I am Ngayam the hunter!” the little boy replied. In the moon’s light, the tikbalang whinnied and brayed… and they became friends. Together they all chased the fireflies and went deeper into the grass

Deeper and deeper they went, the hunter and his new friends, laughing and chasing shadows under the moon.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

Soon the boy said, “I am tired,” and yawned a great, huge yawn. And in a sleepy voice, he muttered, “I am Ngayam, the hunter of monsters.” “Yes, you are!” said his friends.
       
     
+
Soon the boy said, “I am tired,” and yawned a great, huge yawn. And in a sleepy voice, he muttered, “I am Ngayam, the hunter of monsters.” “Yes, you are!” said his friends.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022

And in the light of the waning moon, the wakwak and the sigbin and the tikbalang carried him back to the bed that was like a tiny boat in a vast sea of green,
       
     
+
And in the light of the waning moon, the wakwak and the sigbin and the tikbalang carried him back to the bed that was like a tiny boat in a vast sea of green,

where the boy dreamed of monsters, and hunting … and the morning smile on his father’s proud face. The end.

'The Great Little Hunter'

A Children's Book Written by Ian Rosales Casocot & Illustrated by Hersley Casero

Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 14 inches, 2018-2022