Oyez!Books Store
  • HOME
  • SHOP
    • AGES 0 - 5
    • AGES 5 - 7
    • AGES 7 - 11
    • AGES 11 - 15
    • AGES 15 +
    • EARLY READERS
    • PICTURE BOOKS
    • THEMES
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT US
  • News Archive
  • OYEZ! SELECT
    • WORLD SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION
    • FIRST STEPS
    • GLOBAL KIDS
    • STORIES OF ART
    • SCIENCE STORYBOOKS
    • MUSIC STORYBOOKS
    • DINOSAURS
  • Contact us
  • HOME
  • SHOP
    • AGES 0 - 5
    • AGES 5 - 7
    • AGES 7 - 11
    • AGES 11 - 15
    • AGES 15 +
    • EARLY READERS
    • PICTURE BOOKS
    • THEMES
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT US
  • News Archive
  • OYEZ! SELECT
    • WORLD SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION
    • FIRST STEPS
    • GLOBAL KIDS
    • STORIES OF ART
    • SCIENCE STORYBOOKS
    • MUSIC STORYBOOKS
    • DINOSAURS
  • Contact us
Search

Jainal Amambing's Longhouse Days for Korean Magazine

13/4/2018

2 Comments

 
PictureSpring in South Korea
WhiteWave Inc, located in Seoul, South Korea will be featuring Jainal Amambing's Longhouse Days in their monthly magazine, Catholic Digest. The magazine features 'honest and heart-warming stories of ordinary people'.

According to the editor, Lee, the magazine has just started a 'Children's Story of the World' section to introduce 'various innocent and adorable stories around the world to our subscribers and let them go back to their childhood and recall happy memories.'

Lee was impressed by Jainal's illustrations and touched by the story and plans to translate and feature Longhouse Days in the July issue.

Jainal Amambing has won numerous awards for his illustrations, both locally and internationally including the Noma Concour, Tokyo and Nami Concour, South Korea. His picture book, The Magic Buffalo, has been translated into German. Other books by Jainall, published by Oyez!books include The Wonderful Sparrow and The Proud Butterfly. Based in Kudat, Sabah, Jainal continues to paint and runs a farm with his family.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Jainal Amambing
2 Comments

Oyez! to publish a retelling of an Iranian folktale

11/4/2018

0 Comments

 
The husband and wife team, Razisatul Asyifah and Mohd, Khairul, have written and illustrated a picture book based on an Iranian folktale. The story of a small mouse who goes looking for a friend as mighty as himself has a surprising ending. Publication of the book is scheduled for mid May 2018.
Picture
Picture
A talented and prolific illustrator, Khairul has illustrated a number of books, including several  written by his wife as well as those he has written.
Picture
Dot finds a friend
Oyez! has previously published two picture books that were written and illustrated by Khairul: Where is Owly and My Owl Family Tree.
Picture
My Owl Family Tree was a popular choice for the Frankfurt Book Fiar Beauty and Book Award, 2017
Picture
Where is Owly won the second prize in the Oyez-YGL award.
0 Comments

Oyez! to publish new picture book by the Lim Sisters

11/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Lim Lay Har and Lim Lay Koon have produced another picture book with a Malaysian setting. Their previous picture books  include Atuk's Amazing Sarong and Bunyi-bunyi dari Dapur Nenek (which won a DBP prize and was subsequently published by DBP).
Picture
Atuk's Amazing Sarong is a humorous story of how a boy makes use of his grandfather's sarong.
Their first foray into the publishing world was a chapter book, Master & Apprentice which won the Calisto Award in 2012. The sisters' talent lie in their ability to take local and seemingly ordinary events  and retell them in their own way, usually with humour.
Picture
Their latest picture book is no less a pleasure.- a beautiful book in both text and illustrations. A story of a boy having his first experience of fireflies and also one of a memorable time with his father. We expect this book will be a Malaysian children's picture book that will become a classic. Publication will be end of April 2018.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Lay Har (left) and Lay Koon.
0 Comments

Oyez! Authors at Nami Island

10/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Oyez! authors, Basari Mat Yasit and Nor Azhar Ishak are at Nami Island together with a team from Malaysia. Malaysian artist, Yusof Gajah is on the jury panel of the Nami Concour.

Books by both Basari and Nor Azhar, published by Oyez! have won awards. Basari's Lelaki dari Sungai / Men from the River won a distinction list at Nami Island while Nor Azhar Ishak's Under the Sea had previously won two awards - the Children's Literature Festival, Kuala Lumpur and the Samsung Kids Time Award, Singapore. Both books are unique. Lelaki dari Sungai / Men from the River is a bilingual book and a retelling of a Sarawak folktale. The strong, flat colour illustrations were inspired by the 'pua kumbu' a traditional woven fabric from Sarawak. Nor Azhar's Under the Sea is illustrated using the batik technique and then digitally transferred to the page.
Picture
Nor Azhar telling stories from his book, Under the Sea at Nami Island.
Picture
Picture
Basari with Lelaki dari Sungai / Men from the River at Nami Island, with Fred Minn, of Naminara.
0 Comments

Oyez!Books now at Love Community

10/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Oyez!Books is pleased to announce that consumers can now get books by Oyez! at Love Community PUJ Bookstore (社区关怀工作室). Set up in 2003 as The Community Care Activity Studio, the organisation aims to give back to the community. According to Love Community, 'Life is learning and the earth is the classroom.'

We hope this partnership will continue and grow to benefit the community.

Picture
0 Comments

Books I wish I had as a child

12/12/2017

0 Comments

 
When I was in secondary school, I had trouble understanding physics concepts (and so did most of the girls in my class in our all-girl school) and the physics master said, girls always have difficulty grasping physics compared to boys. I looked at him and wondered if that were true. I was a straight A student but physics flummoxed me. Anyway, the next test topic was on astronomy and space travel so I went to the school library and read a variety of interesting books on that topic. Soon I was reading for pleasure and out of curiosity. Those books helped me to understand my school textbook better and when the test results came out, I had scored an A.
I tell this story because I believe any child can love and enjoy the sciences when they are presented in an interesting way. At Oyez!Books we look for books that children will love and enjoy while learning. And we are pleased to recommend The Young Scientists Series of 12 Volumes from World Scientific Publishing, an international publishing company based in Singapore.
Picture
Each volume features a key science area and five associated scientists / mathematicians / inventors / discoverers from different countries. Written in a fast-paced story and conversational format by famed author and columnist, Nury Vitacchi, these books are suitable for children in primary schools. Here's the complete list:
Volume 1: Secrets in the Rocks — Five Astounding Tales of People Solving Mysteries Beneath Our Feet:
The Girl Who Found a Flying Dragon (Mary Anning);
The BoyWho Went Searching for Giants (Georges Cuvier);
Love, Rocks and the First Dinosaur (Mary Morland);
The Bug Boy Solves a Huge Mystery (Louis Agassiz);
The Woman Who Saw Deep into the Earth (Inge Lehman);
 
Volume 2: Fabulous Physics — Five Amazing Stories of People Who Solved Nature’s Puzzles:
The Man Who Saw a Living Skeleton (Wilhelm Rontgen);
The Servant Girl Who Beat Einstein (Marie Curie);
The Boy Who Climbed to the Top (Abdus Salam);
The Quiet Queen of Physics (Wu Chien-Shiung);
The Boy Who Secretly Read the Books He Was Binding (Michael Faraday);
 
Volume 3: Magical Mathematics — Five Astonishing Stories of People Who Did Miracles with Numbers:
The Girl, the Pearl and the Not-So-Sad Story (Lilavati);
The Boy with No Birthday (Carl Gauss);
The Math Girl Who Stunned the World (Philippa Garrett);
The Penniless Youth Who Amazed the Professors (Srinivasa Ramanujan);
The Good Witch Who Made an Amazing Decision (Maria Agnesi);
 
Volume 4: Breakers of Barriers — Five Stunning Stories of People Demolishing Walls to Make History:
The Unloved Teenager Who Found Her Place (Ada Byron Lovelace);
The Scientist and the Secret in the Ancient Book (Tu Youyou);
The Impossibly Young Doctors (Balamurali Ambati and Sho Timothy Yano);
The Motherless Child Who Solved His Father’s Problem (Blaise Pascal); The Girl Torn Between Two Careers (Rachel Carson);
 
Volume 5: Scientific Pioneers — Five Incredible Tales of People Who Helped Develop the Scientific Method:
The Woman Who Hid the Moon (Aglaonike);
The Man Who Stayed in His House for Ten Years (Al-Haytham);
The Boy Who Was Curious All His Life (Shen Kuo);
The Grumpy Nun Who Was Forbidden to Sing (Hildegard of Bingen);
The Boy Who Sorted Out the Living World (Carl Linneaus);
 
Volume 6: The Amazing Quantum — Five Awesome Stories of People Who Made a Revolution in Physics:
The Boy Who Didn’t Listen to His Teacher (Max Planck);
How a Compass Inspired a Genius (Albert Einstein);
The Boy Secretly Reading a Book Behind His School Desk (Wolfgang Pauli);
The Student Whose Schools Kept Closing (T D Lee);
The Boy Who Had a Dispute with His Father (John von Neumann);
 
Volume 7: The Science of Humanity — Five Fascinating Stories of People Who Helped Us Understand Ourselves:
The Boy Who Found Different Ways of Thinking (Jean Piaget);
The Woman Who Taught Us Love and Remembrance (Artemisia);
The Mother with Six Boys and Six Girls (Lillian Gilbreth);
The Girl Born in the Shadow of the Moon God (Enheduanna);
The Explorer Girl Who Travelled Far Without Leaving Home (Alice Hamilton);
 
Volume 8: Women of Discovery — FiveSuper Stories of Fab Females  Who Made Scientific History:
The Girl Who Found Her Sisters on the Other Side of the World (Harriet Noyes);
The First Woman Doctor in History (Merit Ptah);
The Girl Who Had to Hide Behind a Man’s Name (Sophie Germain);
The Murderous Princess Who Found Salvation (Anna of Byzantium);
The Bug Hunter Who Dreamed of the Jungle (Maria Merian);
 
Volume 9: The Inventor’s Spark — Five Marvelous Stories of People Who Helped Shape the Modern World:
The Boy Who Combined a Bike and a Train to Invent the Car (Karl Benz);
The Failed Doctor Who Sparked an Idea (John Walker);
The Woman to Thank If You Like Chocolate (Mary the Alchemist);
The Man in the Burning House (Garrett Morgan);
The Boy Who Lost His Chance but Got It Back (Gregorio Zara);
 
Volume 10: Advances in Alchemy — Five Startling Stories of Chemistry and Biology:
The Strange Adventures of Doctor Poison (F F Runge);
The Young Woman Who Was Forgotten (Rosalind Franklin);
The Girl in the Chamber of Corpses (Alessandra Giliani);
The Farm Girl Who Made Your Milk Safe (Alice Evans);
A Tasty Treat Found by Accident (Frank Epperson);
 
Volume 11: The Call of the Stars — Five Wonderful Stories of People Looking to the Heavens:
The Boy Who Decoded the Dance of the Stars (Jeremiah Horrocks);
The Poet–Scientist Who Detected an Earthquake (Zhang Heng);
The Farm Boy Who Saw the Galaxies Flying Away (Vesto Slipher);
The Girl Who Named the Stars in the Sky (Annie Jump Cannon);
The Boy Who Understood Einstein (Michio Kaku);
 
Volume 12: The Mystery of Nature’s Laws — Five Striking Stories of People Investigating the Deepest Puzzles of Reality:
The Girl at the Back of the Boys-Only Classroom (Amalie Emmy Noether);
The True Story of the Philosopher’s Stone (Jabir Ibn Hayyan);
The Bullied Boy Who Fought Back (Isaac Newton);
The Teenager Who Saw the Light (Galileo Galilei);
What We Learn from the Strange Tale of the Human Computer (Shakuntala Devi).
And if you think these books are too difficult, don't worry. Give them to your children and they will explain it all to you.
 
In Malaysia, this set of books that will open up a world of knowledge is selling for RM99.90 and Oyez! is offering The Young Scientists Series for RM90 while stocks last.
 
Give your child the gift of knowledge and they will also be inspired to know that all the great scientists were at one time, children just like them.
FREE! Teachers and parents may appreciate the free downloadable and editable worksheets with activities to guide children in reading comprehension as well as enhance their reading with fun art activities. We will send you the link to the worksheets when your order is processed.
Article by Linda Tan

Author: Nury Vittachi
Nury Vittachi is the author of more than 40 books, several of which have been published in many languages around the world. He particularly enjoys bringing science and history to life for readers young and old. He is chairman of the Asia Pacific Translators & Writers, Inc., Asia’s biggest association of writers. A lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design, he teaches students how to write stories and how to create content for novels and movies.
Illustrator: Step Cheung
Step C. studied Illustration at School of Visual Arts in NYC and Character Animation at Gobelins School in Paris. Her illustrations are published in The Standard newspaper weekly and she has illustrated for McDonald's TV commercials, Cyberport, HK magazine and different types of media. She loves to use variety of media to express her imagination of the world.
0 Comments

Oyez!Books to Republish DBP classic picture books

13/9/2017

3 Comments

 
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) was the pioneer in local picture books and many of us grew up reading and loving those books. Now Oyez!Books  will be republishing ten classic picture books by DBP in a single collection.
Originally published in the 1990s, these picture books were written in clear, simple Bahasa Malaysia that makes the stories a pleasure to read. The illustrations depict an earlier time yet are relevant today. For example, in Balik ke Kampung, a couple and their children returned to their parent's home in the kampung. They took the train and the bus and were loaded with gifts of fruits when they leave.
In Aiskrim! Aiskrim! we see the ice-cream man and the bread man in Roti! Roti! who are a  familiar sight even today, with some differences.

These differences can be seen in the houses, the furniture and in some cases technology. The latter can be seen in Penoreh Getah where two women worked in a rubber estate.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
This collection also contains an earlier picture book by Yusof Gajah. In Hendak ke Mana, Cantik? we are treated to the colourful illustrations of Yusof Gajah featuring a bird as the main character. You will have to read the book to find out whether Yusof had forgotten his elephants.

As these books were published more than twenty years ago, the original illustrations could no longer be found. So we have to scan the original books and do some cleaning and touching up. This requires skill and patience to retain the original illustrations as much as possible while brightening them.

The collection is expected to be published in November this year. Watch out for it!
Here are the original covers of the ten books:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
3 Comments

Sneak Peak! New books coming soon

23/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Here's a list of new books that will be published from July onwards:
Picture
E is for Elephant by Yusof Gajah.
Yusof Gajah loves elephants and he loves the alphabet and we love them all. This engaging and brightly-coloured book will have young children learning the ABC in no time!
Picture

Picture
Lennie and Buster 8-book series
Text by Peter Worthington, illustrations by Nur Azmi Mokhtar, colouring by Fengyi Lai and Lim Lay Koon

Watch out for these two superheroes! They are out to catch litterbugs and careless mortals who endanger the environment!

Picture
The Men from the River by Basari Mat Yasit
This book won a place on the Nami Concours shortlist. It is based on an east Malaysian folktale with illustrations using motifs from the Pua Kumbu, an Iban traditional cloth. A dark and lyrical story in English and Bahasa Malaysia. Comes with a colouring book so that you can colour your own Pua Kumbu patterns!

Picture
Hadiah untuk Emak
written by Mazuin Stapah
illustrations by Mohd Yusof Abdul Wahid


This story won an Oyez! environmental prize and it's taken us some time to find the right illustrator. And artist Mohd Yusof has done a great job in matching his illustrations with Mazuin's text making this an informative as well as feel-good story! Find out why there is 'snow' in Malaysia!

Picture
Pelangi Pagi, Lobak Bunga and Negaraku
written by Mahaya Mohd Yassin
illustrations by Emila Yusof, Mazni MR, Evi Shelvia

These three books are among our bestsellers and we will be publishing the English edition.
Picture
Picture

Picture
Sir Red Owl
written by Quek Sue Yian
illustrations by Khairul Azmir Shoib (Meme)

We are fortunate that Sue and Meme are patient because this has taken a while. We are awed by Meme's art and Sue's story has deeper meanings so we don't want to rush it but finally we feel brave enough to announce that the world will get to meet Sir Red Owl!

Picture
Chickaboo the Runaway Ostrich
written by Heidi Shamsuddin
illustrations by Lim Lay Koon

Yes, finally, Chickaboo's picture book will be published! We don't want to get a peck on you know where!

Picture
It's Bathtime by Evi Shelvia
The second book in Evi's Little Friends series (the first was I'm Sorry), Evi enchants us again with her detailed and colourful illustrations with expressive characters.

Picture
The Door Under the Stairs Book 5
written by Heidi Shamsuddin
with illustrations by Lim Lay Koon

This time the door takes our three heroes to Perak. Can you guess which iconic historical figure they will meet? This book will be published towards end of the year.

We are working on more books which we have not included in this list because their schedules have not been confirmed. For now, we hope readers will look out for and enjoy these coming books!


1 Comment

Oyez! Chapter books

19/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Chapter books are intended for children 7-12 years old. The story is broken down into manageable chapters and are usually illustrated. The emphasis is on the text rather than the illustrations although the illustrations certainly add to the story.

Oyez! bestselling chapter books are the Door Under the Stairs series by Heidi Shamsuddin with illustrations by Lim Lay Koon. There are now four books in the series:
1. The Mystery of the Missing National Anthem
2. The Case of the Talented Trio
3. The Case of the Football Champion
4. The Case of the House at No.74
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
After discovering a door under the stairs near the school science laboratory,  three young friends were transported into the past and met iconic Malaysian figures such as Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first prime minister of Malaysia; the multitalented P. Ramlee who was a singer, actor, musician, film producer and director; Mokhtar Dahari the famed footballer who brought Malaysian football to a dizzying height; and Sybil Kathigasu, the World War II heroine who braved torture and hardship in order to be true to her sense of humanity and right.   

By now we have been introduced to the three friends: Emil who is brainy and thoughtful, Hanna who is a plucky and spirited girl, and Jo who is not too brave but pulls his weight in the group and whose antics make him an endearing if sometimes unlikely, hero.
Picture
Picture
As the characters develop in the books, Lay Koon's illustrations have fixed them  in our minds, from Jo's spiky hair to Hannah's pony tail and pixie face.

Heidi, a natural storyteller, has created a series that we hope many Malaysian children will enjoy reading. We are happy to report that the National Library and several state libraries have purchased copies of the books. The books have also been exported to Singapore.

If we can enjoy reading about children drinking ginger pop and eating canned tongues in Enid Blyton's books, I believe it's possible children from other cultures will  be fascinated by nasi lemak. Apart from that, school bullies, 'evil' teachers and the bonds of friendship are things that all children from whatever culture understand.

Picture
Another chapter book, Master & Apprentice was written by Lim Lay Har with illustrations by Lim Lay Koon. The book won the first Calistro Award for its original Malaysian story. This a highly entertaining read which takes us to small town life and introduces an elderly man, Kow Kee who makes the best kuih lapis in town. There are many lovely illustrations in this book and they are certainly nostalgic.

Picture
Oyez! has published three other illustrated books of short stories.
Picture
1. Pigeon Post and other stories  by Gwen Smith is a collection of stories that highlight elements of Malaysian life. They include a tropical thunderstorm that resulted in a landslide; monkeys looking for a new home after their homes were destroyed to make way for a golf park; chickens running free after the lorry carrying them overturned in the rain; children looking for homes for their pets because the apartment where they lived does not permit pets; a tupai that found its way into a house; and an attack by bees that were attracted by the smell of nangka.

The accompanying illustrations are truly delightful and children living in Malaysia will certainly be able to identify with both the stories and the illustrations.. A state librarian recently commended the book and noted that we need more such books.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Rainforest Hike
2. Rainforest Hike and other stories by Cecilia Leong has several stories of the experiences  of a little girl, whether it's making bedak sejuk with the nenek next door or making acar and tang yuan with granny and enjoying ice balls after a boat trip to an island. These are all our stories which we can experience. This book has also been exported to Singapore.

Picture
The illustrations in colour by Keiong Chooi Ling are astonishingly realistic and detailed.
Picture
3. The Nanobots and other stories by Golda Mowe is a collection of science fiction stories for children. We have shared this book with school children from east Malaysia and Klang Valley and it never fails to fascinate them. Science is fascinating and the impact of science and what humans can do - for good or bad - is a constant dilemma. What is fiction today may become a fact tomorrow and of course that is part of the fascination. Can we have a zoo of genetically modified creatures? Should we? And in the distant future, assuming all is destroyed, will humans resort to age-old beliefs in gods and superstitions?

Picture
Introduce these local books to your children and I am sure they will soon look out for more local books with stories that are close to their world.
0 Comments

Raya Gifts and All Things Nice

26/5/2017

5 Comments

 
This Raya, Oyez!Books together with our talented ​Art Editor / Creative Development Director, Emila Yusof, has come up with two designs for sampul duit (money packet) and with the help of our partner, Creative United, two must-have sling bags. 
Happy Family Sampul Raya and Sling Bag - art by Emila Yusof
The Happy Family design by Emila Yusof is quintessential Emila, and we just have to smile as it gets us right into the Raya spirit which is all about family and balik kampung. For collectors of sampul raya, this has the benefit too of being an all-year-round  sampul duit.
Kampungku Sampul Raya and Sling Bag - art by Elly Nor Suria
The Kampungku design is by Elly Nor Suria. Oyez! has published a Kampung colouring book by Elly and now you can get inspired and colour yours too. The colourful patchwork of kampung scenery is so lovely, we are so proud to have it on this all-year-round sampul duit. For your information, Elly also paints her kampung scenes on larger canvas and accepts commission. Do check her out on FB.
We have packed these sampul raya and sling bags into special gift packages at attractive prices for you so why not get them as gifts for this Raya celebration?
Dina series by Emila Yusof & Kampungku Sling Bag Gift set
Princesses books by Emila Yusof and Happy Family sling bag gift set
Kampung colouring book by Elly Nor Suria, Hearts by Emila Yusof and Happy Family sling bag gift set
Kampung colouring book by Elly Nor Suria and Kampungku sling bag gift set
These designs are incorporated into our Hari Raya cards and we are going to be busy during the next month sending out cards - yes, at Oyez! we are quite traditional and love sending greeting cards.
Picture
5 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Archives

    March 2022
    August 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All
    Author
    Book Launch
    Children's Book Week
    China
    Colouring Books
    Coming Soon
    E-books
    Event
    Folktales
    General
    Gifts
    Illustrator
    India
    Indonesia
    New Zealand
    Philippines
    Picture Books
    Preorder
    Promotions
    Publishing
    Singapore
    South Korea
    Spain
    Switzerland
    Taiwan

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • HOME
  • SHOP
    • AGES 0 - 5
    • AGES 5 - 7
    • AGES 7 - 11
    • AGES 11 - 15
    • AGES 15 +
    • EARLY READERS
    • PICTURE BOOKS
    • THEMES
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT US
  • News Archive
  • OYEZ! SELECT
    • WORLD SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION
    • FIRST STEPS
    • GLOBAL KIDS
    • STORIES OF ART
    • SCIENCE STORYBOOKS
    • MUSIC STORYBOOKS
    • DINOSAURS
  • Contact us