Reviewed by: Ah Tshen
This colourful and attractively illustrated story book has many features which make it unique among locally produced books of similar genre. It tells the adventurous journey of the main character, Tujal, a Temuan boy, through the rainforest. After being chased by the bad-tempered Wind through the woods, he lost his way back to his village. Wandering in the jungle he met by chance a number of interesting animals with their own highly characteristic personalities, such as the porcupine, wild boar and mouse deer. Still hopelessly lost in the jungle, he asked for help from these animals but each treated him differently. Just when he felt terrified (and was still being chased by the raging Wind), his grandfather found him. In the warm house of his grandfather, Tujal told him about the Wind, his experiences in the jungle and the animals he met and from whom he sought guidance. The wise old man in turn explained to him the different personalities of the Wind and the animals. The two were obviously happy to have found each other. With his strength and calmness regained, a grateful Tujal bade farewell to his grandfather, and found his way home.
It is not very common that one can (without much effort) find a good children’s book that is made-in-Malaysia, and less so a book with such a delightful storyline and beautiful setting so intimately tied to with our unique natural and cultural heritage. The fascinating story is narrated in three different languages (English, Bahasa Malaysia and Temuan), revealing the rich linguistic diversity of the Malaysian cultural landscape. The accompanying drawings wonderfully enrich the visual experiences of readers, young and senior alike. The text and drawings are so masterfully executed that it would not surprise me if moms and dads find themselves more engrossed in the story than their little kids do.
The book is not just about mere entertainment, it contains useful information about our orang asli communities and their traditional ways of living, written in an easily understandable and engaging manner. It is also educational and instructive by providing introductory passages at the end of the book on the rainforests and the orang asli people and wild animals featured so prominently in the story.
A booklet printed in quarto, it is about just the right size to put on your lap (one can reasonably call it a lap-top, in the widest sense of the word) and read it either to yourself, or better still to your kids. Surely, it will be a good way for you to connect with younger children.
About the Author
Hailing from Australia, the author is a theatre artist and an educator with experience in designing curriculum in English for orang asli children in Malaysian schools. The illustrator, a native from the Temuan community in Selangor, is a professional artist specializing in painting, sculpture, drawing and print making.
This book is a riveting treat. A splendid book written and illustrated with so much verve. A sparkling book that I would recommend to all my friends.
Book: Tujal and the Wind
Author: Stephen-John Curtis
Illustrator: Shaq Koyok
Number of pages: 47
Publisher: Center for Orang Asli Concerns
ISBN: 978-967-12282-0-3
Key words: Orang asli tale, Temuan, Rainforest, Wildlife
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