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by Peter Duke  In 2010, I was asked by Linda Lingard, owner of Oyez books to interview Yusof Gajah and write the introduction for two of his new books, Mother and Child and Elephabet. When I met Yusof, I wasn’t sure what I would find to talk to him about. I’m English and my upbringing was very English, and I studied mechanical sciences and English at Cambridge and wasn’t that fond of elephants. Yusof, on the other hand grew up in Singapore, loved elephants and was an artist. In fact, his father sent him to Yogyakarta to study agriculture, but instead Yusof went down the road and joined the Sekolah Seni Rupa, Yogjakarta, the famous art college. From the moment we started talking we clicked. We shared the same sense of humour, he was patient with my lack of knowledge about naive art, and when I told him I had a painting by a famous Indonesian artist Widayat, that sealed it. Yusof was a student of his and was a great admirer of his work. After that meeting I studied the content of the two books Elephabet and Mother and Child and discovered there was a lot of beauty in the way Yusof had created the illustrations of elephants in these two books to deliver important messages. In Elephabet, he skilfully wound the elephants into the letters of the alphabet and in the book, as opposed to the flash cards, there were many of his whimsical views of life. Mother and Child is a very different book, it is actually a collection of his artwork that he painted when one can only describe him as a starving artist. His breakthrough came when a collector bought the originals of these pictures and from that time he began to grow in his fame as an artist.   I had never met his wife Zakiah until one evening Linda invited Yusof and Zakiah and myself to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Bangsar. That was the start of a long friendship. Yusof and Zakiah were such an engaging couple, she is an industrious and amusing woman as well as being dedicated to promoting Yusof’s work. After that evening, Linda and I often used to visit their home in Gombak, north of Kuala Lumpur and occasionally I was privileged to watch Yusof painting while I was there. I don’t think I truly appreciate naïve art as I am more comfortable with Turner, Whistler Manet, and Pissarro etc. But when I watched Yusof creating a large landscape full of elephants and other jungle creatures I began to understand the depth of his work and the beauty of his creation. Our relationship went from strength to strength, and we met regularly. The next important moment in my relationship with Yusof came at an AFCC (Asian Festival of Children’s Content) annual meeting in Singapore around six years ago. Yusof was booked to give a talk on his art and the way he used his skills to create children’s picture books. I was asked to be his moderator and as we were good friends it went very well with a minimum amount of rehearsal. But I learned something about Yusof at that presentation which I didn’t know until that moment, it was how much time Yusuf spent with seriously ill children many of them dying from cancer in hospitals in Kuala Lumpur. I knew he had written and illustrated a book called Chemophant sponsored by a mother whose child had died from cancer. I knew he was great with kids as I had often watched him hold children spellbound as he turned their scribble on a large sheet of white paper into an elephant. But it was at that moment at AFCC that I saw a completely different side to Yusof. He was a very giving and concerned person. I’d always thought of him as a good artist who could be a bit rough with those who he was teaching. But when it came to being with children and working with seriously ill children, I realised he had a deep care for them.   I have skipped over his time as a curator at the University of Malaya School of Art and his international recognition with collectors in Germany and Norway among many other noteworthy events. I wanted to focus on the man I knew. I last saw Yusof in March 2021 when there was a short break in MCO lockdowns before the COVID-19 pandemic started in earnest again. I left Malaysia in April and returned to Singapore and although I haven’t able to meet up with him since then, I have sadly heard from Linda of his slow decline in health. He was always a strong person, and despite his crippling arthritis the last time I saw him he was as cheerful as ever.
My heart goes out to Zakiah, who will be deeply saddened by the loss of her husband. I know she worked tirelessly for him and with him over the years supporting him in his art, supporting him when he first started out with three very young children, supporting him in his sickness and now he’s gone. I hope to see Zakiah again in the near future now the borders are reopening and join her in remembering a departed dear friend. Peter Duke is Chairman of Oyez!Books and writes under the name Worthington
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Eva Mahirah's debut picture book, What Shall I Be? takes a refreshing look at the standard question usually asked a child, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Q: Tell us about yourself. A: I am Eva Mahirah binti Zulkifli. I am a doctor, a mother of two, a reader, and a writer. My favourite books are, forever and always, the Harry Potter series, and my favourite author is Jane Austen. Q: Have you written or published before? A: I have written and published a few short stories, but this is my first picture book. Q: What made you want to write/illustrate a picture book? A: I believe in the importance of stories in shaping who we are. The books we read, especially when we are young, are the foundation of how we see ourselves and others. This inspires me to write a children's book; I want to add another narrative, another character, another view, to this wonderful library of stories. Q: When did you learn to draw? What tools/software did you use? A: I thought I did not know how to draw, until a teacher of mine said, "Everyone can draw." Holding to that adage, I bought a pencil and a sketchbook, and started to draw. Other than the sketches, I choose to line and colour my illustrations digitally, primarily because 1) multiple trips to the art supply shop for a novice like myself are more expensive than buying a drawing tablet and downloading a free drawing software and 2) there is an undo button in digital drawing. I use a Huion 1060 Plus drawing tablet (priced around RM 200) and FireAlpaca drawing software (free), both of which are beginner friendly (with zero experience, I can comfortably use them after watching a few video tutorials and trying them out myself a few times). Q: Tell us about the book. A: I want to live in a world where girls are given every opportunity, encouragement, and support to explore their potential. What Shall I Be? is a tiny part of this world. I hope my readers, both girls and boys, enjoy the simple storyline and colourful pictures as much as I enjoy writing and illustrating this book. Get this book from the Oyez! Bookstore. Towards the end of the year, a number of lists start appearing so we thought we would do one too. Oyez!Books is focused on publishing Malaysian children's books and our bookstore sells a variety of children's books from other publishers as well. Our criteria for selection in this list is not only that the books sell well but also that they sell consistently, in some cases not only in Malaysia but also in other countries and have been translated into other languages as well. In other words, they have stood the test of time. A few books are newer but are included because they have that 'something' that appeals as all wonderful books have. So if you love and collect Malaysian children's books, especially picture books, do add these to your collection. The Toddler Series by Yusof Gajah 1. Where is My Red Ball 2. Let's Build a House 3. At the Foot of the Hill 4. Roads 5. Elephant Teapot These five little books are works of genius by Yusof Gajah that small children can play and read repeatedly. They are simple yet will certainly encourage a child's creativity as there are endless ways to look at each page. Some of you may recognise two of the books as part of the McDonald's Happy Meal pack a few years ago - Di Kaki Bukit and Mari Kita Membina Sebuah Rumah.
The Dina Series by Emila Yusof The Dina series currently consists of three titles: 1. My Mother's Garden, 2. My Mother's Kitchen and 3. My Father's Farm. Dina the little Malaysian girl enjoys playing, watching and helping her parents at home and outdoors. Children will feel the pleasure of recognising things such as the hibiscus or spices or the angry goose. The last few pages of each book gives more things that children can learn in English and Bahasa Malaysia.
The fourth book, Dina's Art Class will be published in Q1 of 2019 and is bound to delight both parents and children. The fifth book which Emila is still working on will be really special as it's dedicated to our beautiful country but we won't say too much now.  9. Legendary Princesses of Malaysia by Raman and Emila Yusof We are deluged by stories of princesses from the west so it's really wonderful to introduce ten notable women characters from Malaysia that have become legends in local stories and imagination. We have princesses who live in the sea (Ulek Mayang); warrior princesses who are also great rulers (Cik Siti Wan Kembang and Saadong); a princess with her own mind (Puteri Gunung Ledang) and many more. While some have felt that the images look 'Disney', it is what works for this book as they are recognisable for children and a tribute to Emila's talent of converting possibly out-of-date images to appeal to today's children.  10. Dill the Little Elephant by Hans Volker Wolf, Ming and Yusof Gajah The story of Dill the tiny elephant who was inadvertently left behind by its parents and its journey to look for them was based on a German folktale with adaptation by Hans Volker Wolf. One of the few longer books with detailed illustrations by Yusof Gajah, this one is a must have.
 15. Puteri Tioman the Green Turtle by Rossiti Aishah Rashidi and Farah Ashiela Samsuri Puteri Tioman never fails to wow readers, not only because of the realistic and rich illustrations but also because they carry an important message and is informative. This is one in a series of environmental books by Rossiti but Puteri Tioman has remain a favourite with many. If we have 21 books, we would include Siti the Elephant by Rossiti with illustrations by Farah Ashiela too. The Wild Treehouse series by Gwen Hew and Evi Shelvia 1. The Wild Treehouse of Borneo 2. By the River of Borneo In The Wild Treehouse of Boreno, the simple story of an indigenous boy who helped his animal friends to build a home is given a special touch by Evi Shelvia's illustrations. The book introduces the animals in the forest as well as an appreciation of indigenous life. The second book, By the River of Borneo is another winner. It revisits the beauty of the rainforest and celebrates the wildlife of Sabah, as well as the culture of the Kadazan-Dusun people.
 18. Atuk's Amazing Sarong by Lim Lay Har and Lim Lay Koon Authors Lay Har and Lay Koon have made quite a name for themselves by their ability to see the humour and charm of the everyday of Malaysian life and giving us books to treasure. Is a sarong just a sarong? Not so for Adik who finds many imaginative ways to use Atuk's sarong and Atuk gamely joins in.  19. Puteri Gunung Ledang by Emila Yusof We feel we really must add this book because of the way Emila Yusof has interpreted an oft-told story in her own way with lyrical text and illustrations we have never seen before. Judge for yourself and yes, we will be producing an English version in 2019!  20. Men from the River / Lelaki dari Sungai by Basari Mat Yasit
This book is the newest in the list but is another that we feel we simply must add for a Malaysian children's book collection. The unique illustrations based on pua kumbu motifs and engaging story of why crocodiles attack humans is both chilling and fascinating. The first international book fair Oyez! went to was the Bologna International Children's Book Fair in 2009. It was truly an eye opener and a very good experience. When we started, we were nervous, and we felt very small. Our stand was simple and we shared it with another Malaysian publisher. We had prepared our books carefully, but they had been created for the Malaysian market and while they had been well-received at home, would people from other parts of the world like them?  At the Bologna Book Fair We were pleased when some people stopped to inspect our books and a few expressed admiration. We learned very quickly what people liked and didn't. We didn't make any sales that year but we felt optimistic because overall, we'd received more favourable responses than not. Visiting international book fairs is also the Oyez! way to benchmark our books at the international level. It also serves to keep us on our toes, to keep producing world-class books even though they are created for the Malaysian market in the first place. The Bologna Book Fair was followed by the Frankfurt Book Fair, also in 2009. Since then Oyez!Books has travelled to international book and content fairs in New Delhi, Beijing, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Indonesia, Tokyo, Seoul, London and Singapore.  Malaysia Country stand the Frankfurt Book Fair, 2015  At the Abu Dhabi book fair, 2012 They are all wonderful experiences because we meet people from different parts of the world, experience different cultures, and see a wide variety of books all in one place for a few days. Glamour aside, exhibiting at international fairs are costly and tiring affairs. Oyez!Books is a small company and we cannot exhibit at as many fairs as we would like. We are lucky that we do get some support from government agencies like Matrade, MBKM (Malaysian Book Council) and KotaBuku.  At the Matrade Frankfurt office in preparation for the fair So, for the few fairs we visit each year, we prepare very early in advance. We choose the books we feel would have the strongest appeal and sometimes we make hardcover editions of them so that they look nice on the shelves. We send out marketing flyers in advance to invite potential buyers to come to our stand. Sometimes we place advertisements in selected fair magazines. Finally, Oyez! directors play an active role by speaking at international fairs or taking part in panel discussions.  At the Beijing Book Fair, 2011 We feel that we have to work harder to make ourselves known because there are many big publishers at the fairs who have been exhibiting for years. They have thick glossy catalogues and wonderful stands (the ones we take pictures of to post on our facebook page!).  Malaysia country stand at the Tokyo Book Fair Why do we keep going to fairs? Of course, having an international market for our books is always a plus money wise, but we also feel strongly that we have our stories to tell and we must tell them. We will not be silent or silenced. Yes, we are a children's book publisher and we believe that picture books and children's story books are a great way to tell our story. Picture books especially, are friendly and attractive and before you know it, you have fallen in love. They are a great way to build bridges across cultures. But we also believe that it starts by telling our own stories to our children. And to create from the heart. So Oyez! priority has always been to create wonderful books at home and then to work hard to take those books abroad because we want to take our place on the international stage. Oyez! aims to create wonderful Malaysian books at home and to place them on the international stage. We are happy to say that in the past few years, books by Oyez! have been translated into several languages and some have won awards overseas. Here are a few: Picture books are a great introduction to children who are learning to read and to encourage reluctant readers. However, older children who want a bit more bite out of their books will be looking for story books. These books are sometimes referred to as Chapter books (as they have chapters) or in Americanism, middle grade books, typically books for children between 8-12.
The fourth book, The Case of the House at No. 74, is perhaps the most harrowing book among the current five, with our young heroes finding themselves right in the middle of a real war, ie World War II. But otherwise how could they have met someone so special as Sybil Kathigasu, the courageous war time nurse who only wanted to save lives. The latest book in the Door Under the Stairs series is The Case of the Missing Elephants which takes readers further back into Malaysia's history with the discovery of tin in Perak. All the stories are fiction, but they are based on historical facts and life in the period mentioned. Besides having to do a lot of research, the writer, Heidi also has three school-going children of her own who must have inspired her because all the books are great reads, besides being informative. Lim Lay Koon, who has become our favourite illustrator for black and white illustrations, illustrated all the books in this series. Oyez! has published more story books than those listed above, including a wonderful collection of science fiction stories by Golda Mowe and a series about a 700-year-old boy ghost with his two modern-day friends who save the world from the very worst of baddies. But in this post, we are only highlighting those books with Malaysian content. To celebrate Merdeka and Malaysia Day, we will be having promotions for two whole months, August through to September. So don't miss this chance to get more Malaysian stories for your children. In addition, watch this space as we will be highlighting more books as well as behind the scenes with Oyez! publishing. Read:
 When Oyez!Books was first established in 2008 our vision was to publish books with Malaysian stories. What exactly are Malaysian stories? Well, we have some ideas but we think it's best if we highlight some of the few hundred odd books we have published to show what we mean. 1. My Mother's Garden and series
2. Malaysian Folktales from East Malaysia and Princesses Another beloved Malaysian author is Jainal Amambing from Sabah, who is from the Rungus tribe in Kudat. Jainal's first encounter with picture books was at a picture book workshop organised by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, taught by Yusof Gajah. Also with DBP at that time was editor Zaiton Ajamain, now Datuk Hjh Zaiton. Although she is now retired, Datuk Zaiton continues to be involved in Malaysian children's picture books.
Fellow Sabahan, Awang Fadilah has also won Noma Concours Awards for his black and white Land Below the Wind and brilliantly coloured Puteri Gambus. Awang's detailed and stylised drawings take us on a cultural and nature trip to Sabah.
Another award-winning picture book is the bilingual Lelaki dari Sungai / Men from the River by Basari Mat Yasit which won the distinction list of the Nami Concours, Nami Island, Korea. This book retells a Sarawak folktale and celebrates the unique pua kumbu, a woven fabric of the Iban tribe.
3. The natural world
Hans Volker Wolf is a German who has fallen in love with Malaysia and now calls it his home together with his family.
Think Malaysia has wonderful fruits? Then get Rossiti's We Love Trees (illustrations by Evi Shelvia) which features several fruit trees including the durian of course, rambutan, starfruit, mango and coconut.
4. Culture and Happenings
Next, we have books by Mahaya Mohd Yassin, an advocate on the correct use of the national language, Bahasa Malaysia, who published three picture books with Oyez!, namely, Pelangi Pagi (illustrations by Emila Yusof); Lobak Bunga (illustrations by MR Mazni) and Negaraku (illustrations by Evi Shelvia). Negaraku has a lift the flap to reveal the Malaysian flag and is sure to bring a smile.
5. Early Readers Oyez! is also pleased to publish six books for pre-schoolers in Bahasa Malaysia by educationist Nani Menon (illustrations by Emila Yusof). Big size, colourful and printed on heavy card, these books touch on simple topics with accompanying pictures that young children can easily identify, making them a great introduction to early reading.  
6. Poetry, Proverbs and Rhymes Who hasn't heard of the nursery rhyme and song, Bangau Oh Bangau? If your children haven't, then it's time to introduce them to this lively nursery rhyme with a book illustrated by Elly Nor Suria. With a question and answer format, this nursery rhyme is great for group interaction and singing.
The Malay peribahasa in pantun gives words of wisdom and advice in rhyme. They are made less forbidding with delightful illustrations by Emila Yusof in Pok Amai-Amai. Mazni Md Ramly's collection of poetry for children, Menjadi Bintang, evokes daily events in a Malaysian child's life. The poetry can be recited or sung and to encourage children to write their own poetry or to illustrate a poetry with inspiration from the illustrations by Emila Yusof. Conclusion For Oyez!, Malaysian stories are stories about Malaysia created from the heart, inspired by the culture, people and natural environment of this beautiful and rich country. Let us teach our children to love our stories, stories they can identify with, stories that are about them and their environment. And let us share our stories with the world. Malaysian stories are stories about Malaysia created from the heart, inspired by the culture, people and natural environment of this beautiful and rich country. To celebrate Merdeka and Malaysia Day, we will be having promotions for two whole months, August through to September. So don't miss this chance to get more Malaysian stories for your children. In addition, watch this space as we will be highlighting more books as well as behind the scenes with Oyez! publishing. Read:
The first book of the HIJAU series, The Lost Princess by Liza Shahida has been published and features an adorable girl illustrated by Nor Abdullah. As with all the books in the HIJAU series, children will be introduced to various animals and plants in the rainforest.   The five books in the HIJAU series will be released in stages. Each book in the series comes with supplementary materials including background information for parents and teachers, additional facts on the flora and fauna featured as well as activity sheets for children. The story in each book is located in different spots in Malaysia and highlights the flora and fauna found there. For example, The Lost Princess highlights the animals and plants found in Sabah. All the books in the series use a dyslexic friendly font, OpenDyslexic, which is a special font developed and designed for people with dyslexia to make reading easier. Liza has taken careful thought over each book and after reading all the books in the series, children will be introduced to a comprehensive list of the animals found in the rainforests of Malaysia. It is the author's hope that the Hijau Series will i. instill the love of nature amongst young children (3-8 years), ii. open the minds of young children to a new world, and iii. nurture the child’s logical thinking, social intelligence and empathy.  Liza Shahida reading from The Lost Princess to an attentive group of children at the Perlis state library.   Oyez! is a regular participant at RIUH, a monthly art, cultural, and community event at APW, Jalan Riong, Bangsar (next to NST) and this month we are thrilled to participate again. We will have a booth to display and sell Oyez! books (please come and visit!) and in addition, authors Rossiti Aishah Rashidi (Siti the Elephant and Pak Belang the Tiger) and Lim Lay Koon (Pip's Peculiar Problem) will be reading from their books in line with the theme, Safari in the City. Two friends of Oyez! will be also be reading from our Borneo Animal Series. Catch them at these times: Saturday 21 April 2018 11.30-11.45am Rossiti Aishah Rashidi reading Siti the Elephant and Pak Belang the Tiger 12.45-1.00 Najibah reading a book from the Borneo Animal Series. Sunday 22 April 2018 11.30-11.45 Lim Lay Koon reading Pip's Peculiar Problem 12.45-1.00pm Syafawani reading a book from the Borneo Animal Series.
The organiser of RIUH is also collecting book donations for Books on the Move, an initiative that promotes reading anywhere by dropping books at public places for people to pick up, read and pass along. Do remember to bring your spare books to share!
Oyez! Bookstore, the bookselling arm of Oyez! (Publishing) is pleased to add World Scientific books to their store. World Scientific is one of the leading scientific publishers in the world, and the largest international scientific publisher in the Asia-Pacific region.  Oyez! Bookstore started with the Young Scientists series by Nury Vitacchi which quickly went out of stock and is now restocked. Next, we added the inspirational SISU Girls series, Brave Beachley and Fearless Frosty, the story of two girls who went on to conquer the waves and mountains.
We have selected more World Scientific books on topics covering teaching and learning maths and science. Some of these books are for children while others are suitable for parents and teachers. We will be featuring these in the next few days. Watch out for them!
'Flowers' and 'Tea' do not seem to go together but the Chinese who love drinking tea and who are often inventive with their food, have produced tea that blooms into a flower as hot water is poured into it. Here's a picture from WIkipedia and a YouTube video clip from the movie Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola which shows the queen enjoying the flowering tea, a gift from the Emperor of China.
And finally, here are some illustrations from Emila Yusof's book, Grandma's Flowering Tea which will be published in early May 2018 by Oyez!Books. Emila was awarded the Little Hakka International Picture Book Competition Merit Award in 2017 for the illustrations in this book. The award was organised by the Shenzhen OCT Cultural Group and the Shenzhen Women's Federation under the auspices of the Shenzhen Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.
First, you select the tea leaves and flowers.
The leaves and flowers are dried under the sun.
Sew them into a ball.
Now you have many tea balls!
Drop one into hot water and watch it bloom. Isn't it divine?
Photo creadit:
Flowering Tea: By Georg Mittenecker - Photograph taken by Georg Mittenecker, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3337063 |
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