Eight tales about heroes and sacrifice, love and family - all rooted in a land that is both challenging and abundant. Some of the stories strike a familiar chord. There is the tiny child, no bigger than a thumb, who outwits a giant; the poor farmer who cannot feed his children and leaves them abandoned in the forest; the princess who breaks an enchantment and releases a prince. Yet the tales are filled with the unexpected, too, as humans, monsters and the natural world transform and intersect.

A princess who is pursued by two kings from neighboring kingdoms sacrifices herself to keep peace in the land, and is transformed into a sea creature that will provide nourishment for all her people. A crying baby, ignored by his mother, turns into a bird, teaching villagers a valuable lesson. A jealous concubine poisons the king's son so her own child can inherit the kingdom, only to find her son going off to search for his half-brother, never to return. A man traps the sun to stop it from setting, so that his family and fellow villagers will have enough time to gather food.

The stories are exceptionally relevant today, as they draw our attention to the value of the odd and the small, the preciousness of children and our natural resources, the need to not take our food for granted.

Gathered from oral sources and old collections written in Dutch and indigenous languages, these folktales are simply and evocatively told, accompanied by startling and vibrant images by Indonesian artist Hardiyono.

Royalties from the sale of this book will go to INABBY for work with children in crisis.

About the Author
Murti Bunanta is the founder and president of IBBY Indonesia (INABBY). She is also the founder and president of the Society for the Advancement of Children's Literature (Kelompok Pencinta Bacaan Anak, established in 1987), a non-profit organization that promotes activities to develop children's reading in Indonesia. Hardiyono is an award-winning illustrator who is also a glass painter, an Arabic calligrapher and a sculptor.


Book Information
ISBN 9781554981939
Author Murti Bunanta
Format Hardback
Page Count 80
Imprint Groundwood Books Ltd ,Canada
Publisher Groundwood Books Ltd ,Canada
Weight(grams) 467g