Southeast Asia’s literature is as rich and diverse as the region itself, but unfortunately, there’s still a derth of books for children by Southeast Asian authors translated into English. Even when they are written in English by Southeast Asian writers, such as the books by Singaporean Shamini Flint and Malaysian Margaret Lim), they rarely find their way into the US or other English speaking countries. It’s fairly easy to find factual books or folktale retellings, but the majority of the books in English related to the region are written by European or American authors.
PaperTigers this week joins many other bloggers on a virtual tour of children’s literature from/about Southeast Asia by pointing readers to reviews and blog posts written by our team:
Former PaperTigers blog contributor Janet Brown has looked closely at the book Happiness of Kati, by Thai writer Jane Vejjajiva. Aimed at 12+ year-olds, the book was the first children’s book to win the S.E.A. Write Award, given to the best literature by Southeast Asians. Read Janet’s three posts about the book (1, 2, 3), as she gets deeper into the beautifully layered story of a Thai girl and her family. And for an interesting look on the world of children’s books in Thailand, read the transcript of a paper by Jane Vejjajiva, presented at the IBBY Congress, in 2008.
Reviewed by Charlotte, The Killing Sea (Simon & Schuster) by lifelong Bali resident Richard Lewis is a fictionalized account of the impact of the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, particularly in the lives of two teenagers caught up in the tragedy. Lewis’ The Flame Tree, also set in Indonesia in post 9/11, is another important title, as it helps dispel stereotypes, especially common since then, about the Islamic world.
The Bee Tree
, written by Stephen Buchmann and Diana Cohn, illustrated by Paul Mirocha (Cinco Puntos), is a coming-of-age story that blends “myth, geography, and harvest and Islamic rituals to create a rich tapestry of multicultural experiences”.
The round-up of the Southeast Asia blog tour, with links to all participating posts, will be posted at Chasing Ray on Wednesday, 08/12 (which means bloggers still have time to send in their posts!). We are looking forward to finding out what others have contributed to the feast!
“What do you all say to the idea of some sort of international campaign to encourage reading aloud to kids? A campaign for literacy, if you will, but one focused specifically on the benefits of parents and teachers reading aloud to kids.”
These are the words of Jen Robinson, from Jen Robinson’s Book Page, that I just read about five seconds ago and had to quote immediately. Please go to her blog and read this post for yourself–right now. Then let’s start talking about how this important work can begin.
This is the right time. In the United States, my home country, we have a president with two young daughters. In Thailand, my country of residence, we have a Prime Minister whose sister wrote the international best-selling children’s book, The Happiness of Kati. And in your corner of the world?
I’m sure there are events happening all over the globe that point to the Year of the Ox launching the Era of Reading Aloud to Children–let’s talk about this. Let’s make this happen.
The September Carnival of Children’s Literature went live yesterday, at Jenny’s Wonderland of Books. Amongst the great posts highlighted you will find Book Wink’s video book talk, shot in Ecuador, about the book Lost Treasure of the Inca, by Peter Lourie. Make sure to check it— and the rest of the posts— out. PaperTigers is in with two entries: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and The Tigers’ Bookshelf: Talking about The Happiness of Kati (and the talking has been great so far!).
Happy wanderings!
P.S: The next carnival will be at The Well-Read Child.
Nine-year-old Kati lives an idyllic life in rural Thailand, cherished by her grandparents, surrounded by people who care about her, a modern girl whose days are shaped by customs that are steeped in tradition. Her world is secure and she is happy, except for the nights when storms blow in, lightning fills the sky and following the rumbles of thunder, Kati can hear cries of “heart-stopping despair” mingled with the sound of the rain.
Nothing in her life has ever been tinged with the sadness Kati hears in these cries–or has it? Is her imagination playing tricks on her or are these sounds emerging from forgotten memories? When Kati discovers the answer to these questions, she also discovers joy and the true meaning of family, as well as grief that few girls her age have to face.
This slender little book illuminates another culture while exploring the universality of love and loss. The 2006 winner of Thailand’s S.E.A. Write Award that is given annually for outstanding Southeast Asian literature, this is a novel that celebrates life’s everyday pleasures as thoroughly as it examines some of its deepest questions.
Please join us in reading and discussing The Happiness of Kati.
Southeast Asia’s literature is as rich and diverse as the region itself, but unfortunately, there’s still a derth of books for children by Southeast Asian authors translated into English. Even when they are written in English by Southeast Asian writers, such as the books by Singaporean Shamini Flint and Malaysian Margaret Lim), they rarely find their way into the US or other English speaking countries. It’s fairly easy to find factual books or folktale retellings, but the majority of the books in English related to the region are written by European or American authors. 
