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We have seen and read many children's books on animals and are absolutely thrilled with this new Borneo Animal series written by Beverley Hon and illustrated by Lim Lay Koon. Firstly, these are animals which are found in our backyard, so to speak. Secondly, the books are beautifully written and thirdly, the illustrations are just right. We start with three books in the series: the binturong or bear cat, the tapir and the slow loris.
  We expect three more titles to be added later this year including the pangolin and the orangutan with more to come. If you want to make sure an animal is not missed out, just put it down in the comments below. Note: these books are printed entirely on thick card and sewn in the centre, with wraparound cover. They are in a good square size, making them friendly for both children and the adults reading to them.
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The long-awaited book, Pak Belang the Tiger, will be ready on 18th March. Author Rossiti Aishah Rashidi has had a string of successful animal and environmental-themed books for children. She wrote this one as if she is having a pleasant chat with children, making her text simple and easy to understand.
Rossiti personally chooses the illustrators she wants for her books. This does not always work well as authors do not necessarily make the right choice - or at least the publishers do not think so! The right illustrations in a picture book are critical and many publishers prefer to choose their own illustrators. Fortunately for Rossiti, she has a successful formula and is sticking to it. Simple text combined with outstanding realistic and detailed illustrations make her books winners. Pak Belang the Tiger is no exception - the illustrations by Indonesian artist Widiyatno are breathtaking. 
Pak Belang, as many of us know, is the Malay nickname for tiger and means Mr Stripes. Pak Belang is the King of the Malaysian forest. He is a carnivore and a top predator. But one animal is not afraid of him. Guess which? Pak Belang is a good swimmer but is not so good at climbing. He kills his prey instantly with a bite on the neck. However, Pak Belang has one great enemy – humans. Today, there are not many tigers left in the wild. Pak Belang, the Malayan tiger is on the list of critically endangered animals.  This information and other fascinating facts are found in the book. Whether reading alone or being read to, children are likely to find the book engrossing. Teachers and educators may also use the book as an additional resource. Rossiti is a frequent speaker on environmental issues. Write to us at contact@oyezbookstore.com if you wish to invite her to your school. Add this valuable and beautiful book to your home or school library.
In Malaysia, no word is more evocative and nostalgic than the word kampung. It comprises all things good that belong to the home and to an earlier more innocent time. Elly Nor Suria has sought to capture scenes around the kampung especially in the different types of houses and the life around them. This can be seen in the sarongs hanging out to dry and the neatly planted plants and pots of flowers. In one colouring plate, houses are grouped together higgledy-piggledy on winding road tracks while in another, a house stands proudly with concrete stairs and floral curtains.
  Whether you love colouring or not, you will want this book in your collection. Each page is printed on one side only with the reverse blank. Pull out the page after you have coloured it, frame it or make a card with it. They are also beautiful by themselves in black and white. Perfect as a gift or get it for yourself and keep the kampung close to your heart.
Hearts, her latest picture book, is a wordless book. Done in her favourite medium, water colour, the illustrations have softer colours and feel. Appropriately so, the story is about a girl finding a bottle of hearts and returning each heart to the owner. When she finds one heart broken, she mends it carefully. Unable to locate the owner, she wears the heart on her sleeve hoping that somehow the owner may recognise and claim it. Meanwhile, the 'heartless' owner is angry and destructive. There are many layers to this story and the use of metaphors in the illustrations is rather clever. While not strictly for children, a child will enjoy the more direct messages of the story. Read into it whatever you wish and it will probably speak to you in different ways at different times and that's the job of a good book.
Emila's illustrations for Puteri Gunung Ledang uses the motifs of Malaysian batik sarongs which can be seen in the repeated floral and plant designs placed symmetrically. However, unlike the bright colours of batik, Emila uses primarily red, yellow, grey and white, resulting in a subdued effect.  The story is told in poetry which gives it drama and pathos, suitable for a play. This is definitely one book to add to your collection if you are a fan of folktales and a collector of beautiful picture books. Note: We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the editor, Datuk Hjh Zaiton Ajamain.
The 3rd of March is World Wildlife Day and this year's theme is 'Listen to the Young Voices'. According the United Nations, young people between the ages of 10 and 24 make up one quarter of the world’s population and as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, they must be encouraged to act at both local and global levels to protect endangered wildlife.  Oyez! has published a number of books on wildlife such as Puteri Tioman and Siti the Elephant and stories around wildlife such as Under the Sea, Pip's Peculiar Problem and Where is Owly?. We will also be launching Belang the Tiger during our Children's Book Week from 18-26th March. Author Rossiti Aishah Rashidi is a committed conservationist and wonderful educator. Watch out for more information on our Children's Book Week. In line with World Wildlife Day, we are promoting a range of beautiful wildlife cards from Rossiti's books for your collection. Send them on or frame them up, they remind us of the wildlife we must treasure.
Cards from illustrations by Lim Lay Koon for the book Pip's Peculiar Problem are also available. Lay Koon's sense of humour translates into all her illustrations. Beautiful and fun, these cards are delightful and thoughtful.
 We are celebrating International Women's Day on 8th March. The theme this year is #BeBoldForChange. We have a special gift pack for you designed by artist Emila Yusof so watch out for it! Do you usually wake up in the morning happy or grumpy? Well, the 20th of March is the International Day of Happiness! Take the pledge:  Now, don't you think we should all be reminded of this everyday? For us at Oyez!Books, there's nothing more wonderful than the happy smile of a child. It makes everything we do so much more meaningful and fun. Whether in the books our authors create or in the events we do, we aim to create happiness. The International Day of Forests is on 21st March and we wish to highlight the book, We Love Trees by Rossiti Aishah Rashidi and illustrated by Evi Shelvia. We are working on a Bahasa Malaysia version as many parents have asked for it. A favourite activity is pot painting with Rossiti as children learn to recognise leaves of plants and paint them on a pot that they will surely be proud to keep.
There are several more special days to observe in March. These special days highlight important issues around the world. Do check out the UN website for more information and resources. You can download posters, watch videos and sign up to be a part of change.
Kota Buku is the organiser of the annual Kuala Lumpur Trade and Copyright fair and is also the lead Malaysian agency for the Bologna International Book Fair, the China Children's Book Fair in Shanghai and the Beijing Book Fair. In addition, the company also participates in other international fairs and conferences.  ©Emila Yusof "There is definite synergy between Oyez!Books and Kota Buku," says Sayed Munawar, CEO of Kota Buku. "Their books are of high quality and of international standard. We are proud to be their primary agent. This is in line with our mission to promote Malaysian books internationally," he adds. About Oyez!Books, www.oyezbookstore.com Oyez!Books was founded in 2008 as an imprint of Integra Majujaya and is now an imprint of Integra Creative Media Sdn Bhd. The imprint focuses on children's books by Malaysian writers and illustrators although it also publishes translations of international works. Oyez! Books & Gifts is a division of the imprint that aims to promote existing intellectual properties for licensing purposes. Contact: Linda Tan, email: contact@oyezbookstore.com About Perbadanan Kota Buku (Kota Buku) www.kotabuku.my
The Perbadanan Kota Buku, a government-linked corporation, was established in line with the aspiration of the National Book Policy. Kota Buku aims to act as a nucleus for all book-related activities and to work with stakeholders in the book industry in order to enhance the book industry in Malaysia. This includes capacity building, content trading, organising book-related activities and being a technology enabler. Contact: Hasri Hasan, email: hasri.hasan@kotabuku.my by Emila Yusof I am proud to present to you my first project as Creative Development Director with Oyez Books and Gifts Division. This Chinese New Year Gift Specials are in cooperation with Creative United who had been helping me setting up Oyez! Brand store. I am also proud to feature works by Chooi Ling Keiong, a graduate of the Kuala Lumpur College of Art (Dip. Fine Art, 2002), multiple award-winning illustrators, and my fellow kampung folk (Raub). I understand that this time of year there is a lot of pressure to find the perfect gift. I know it because I am among those who are always looking for something different to give, something that can be opened over and over to thrill, surprise, inform, inspire and entertain. So I thought books are wonderful and thoughtful gift. Books with its own merchandise item make it even more special. Here are some ideas to get you thinking and hopefully started on your list. If you like to order, please visit Oyez Books and Gifts shop. Book & Bag Gift Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Chrysanthemum Tote Bag RM48.00 (Normal price is RM68.00, you save RM20.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Book & Bag Gift Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Plum Flowers Tote Bag RM48.00 (Normal price is RM68.00, you save RM20.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Book & Pencil Case Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Chrysanthemum Pencil Case / Purse RM38.00 (Normal price is RM53.00, you save RM15.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Book & Pencil Case Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Happiness Always Mandarin Oranges Pencil Case / Purse RM38.00 (Normal price is RM53.00, you save RM15.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Book & Canvas Print Gift Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Mandarin Ducks Canvas Print RM82.00 (Normal price is RM103.00, you save RM21.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Book & Canvas Print Gift Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Mandarin Oranges Canvas Print RM82.00 (Normal price is RM103.00, you save RM21.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Book & Canvas Print Gift Set – Health, Wealth & Happiness and Auspicious Symbols Canvas Print RM82.00 (Normal price is RM103.00, you save RM21.00) Please note that the images are for display purpose only and the offer stands for book and merchandise items as mentioned.  Get the best price with the promotional package of book + gifts. You also have the choice to just get the products for gifts or to treat yourself!
This blog first appeared in emilayusof.com Timun Emas is an Indonesian folktale of a woman who longed for a child. Her wish was granted by a giant but there was a price. When the child has grown, the giant will come for her. That seemed like so far away and her desire so great that the woman agreed without further ado. The giant gave the woman some cucumber seeds with instructions that she should plant and take good care of them. The woman did as she was told and one day, one of the golden cucumbers ripened and inside was a beautiful baby girl. The woman named her child Timun Emas.  This folktale is similar to the story of Thumbelina from Denmark where a little child was born from the flower of barley corn. In another way, it is also similar to a German folktale, Rumpelstiltskin where a goblin helped a woman but the price was her firstborn. How these stories come about, we can only guess. Folktales certainly reflect our shared humanity and much have been written about them and their meanings and significance. As an example, this story has been interpreted to mean the empowerment of women for in all cases, the women found a way to overcome a bad situation. We are happy to present Evi Shelvia's retelling of this Indonesian folktale and she has added a delightful creature, the Kuda Kepang. Evi's gorgeous illustrations make this story all the more delightful and the book will be one to keep and treasure.   The publication date for this book is 30 December 2016 and will be made available for online purchase at www.oyezbookstore.com.
Have you ever sat in a train and looked through the windows and wondered where everyone is heading? Who are your fellow travellers and what are the places you have passed? And then you arrived at your destination almost with regret for the journey was certainly part of the pleasure.  Well, Lucia Hiratsuka thought about this too and wrote and illustrated a book, Na janela do trem which translated from the original Portuguese language into English is, Through The Windows of a Train.  Of Japanese descent, Lucia was born and raised in Brazil. She grew up on her father's farm which was called Asahi meaning 'morning sun' in Japanese. The farm was located in Duartina in the countryside of Sao Paulo. She first traveled by train with her grandmother and since then has always enjoyed traveling by train and looking through the windows. Here are a few illustrations from the book.     This story is not finished yet as Oyez!Books is bringing this lovely book to Malaysian children in Bahasa Malaysia. In November 2015, Oyez!Books rights director, Lei, went to the Shanghai International Children's Bookfair. There she met Antonio Erivan, rights director of Cortez Editora. Antonio showed her many books including Na janelo do trem. At the same time, Oyez!books was looking for suitable books to translate and we have also received information from the Brazilian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur that we may apply for a translation grant from the Fundação Biblioteca Nacional which is the National Library of Brazil. After much deliberation, (on the shortlist were beautiful illustrated books on the animals of the Amazon) we selected Na janelo do trem because we love Lucia's simple illustrations and because the story is one that a Malaysian child can relate to. In October this year, we were informed that our application for a translation grant was successful. It was enough to cover the translation and editing cost (which was from Protuguese to English to Bahasa Malaysia as we couldn't find anyone suitable who could do a direct translation from Portuguese to Bahasa Malaysia.) We are now in the process of getting the book ready for publication early next year. Can't wait! Stay tuned for further update!
Hans Christian Andersen was born on 2 April 1805 in Denmark, an only child. His father encouraged his love of literature and his mother, although uneducated herself, believed in and encouraged her son. Hans was a weak child with poor health. His mother spent a lot of time with Hans, telling him stories, often using puppets and a makeshift theatre. Hans grew up loving stories and the theatre and decided he wanted to be an actor. He went to Copenhagen to find work as an actor but was not successful. He was tall and ungainly and not a particularly good actor. After many failures, Hans tried his hand at writing. His first book, a collection of fairy tales which was published in 1835, was not an immediate success. But Andersen did not give up. He continued writing. Ten years later, his stories began to receive recognition and were translated into other languages. His fame and his stories began to spread all over the world. One of Hans's more popular stories is The Ugly Duckling. This story is almost like the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Hans's success is a tribute to his parents who looked at the ugly duckling and saw a beautiful swan. Less known here but also one of Hans Christian Andersen's popular stories is The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree. This story tells about the long life of an oak tree and all that it has witnessed. Compare that with the life of a mayfly which was only one (human) day. However, for the mayfly, the one day is a long life and it is measured in many moments. This story was published in 1858 when Andersen was 53 and already famous. Writing this story, Andersen must have been thinking of his life and how much he had to be thankful. For in the end, this story ends on a hopeful note, recognising the beauty and inevitability of life.  The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree was republished by Oyez!Books in 2015 and illustrated by Chooi Ling Keong. Chooi Ling used a combination of medium including colour pencils. She loved using colour pencils for their soft and gentle feel although it took a long time to achieve the effect she wanted. Take a look at the book and you will see the love that has gone into the illustrations. We think Andersen would be very happy with the illustrations, don't you think?    Trivia: Do you know, Hans Christian Andersen was a contemporary of Charles Dickens. Hans loved visiting England and he enjoyed Dickens's company. He would turn up at Dickens's house and unfortunately, he would stay so long and outstay his welcome.  Andersen portrait By Christian Albrecht Jensen  Statue in Central Park, New York commemorating Andersen and The Ugly Duckling By Dismas - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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