Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories - (Favorite Children's Stories) by Joan Suyenaga (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A collection of traditional Indonesian folktales drawn from the nation's lore and legends retold for an international audience by Joan Suyenaga, this book supplies a glimpse of the country's traditional culture, morals, and environment."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories contains a charming selection of traditional tales from the rich store of Indonesian lore and legends.

These beautifully illustrated stories, retold for an international audience, provide children with insight into the traditional culture, beliefs and physical landscape of Indonesia. This book is aimed at children in the five to ten age group, but readers of all ages, young and old, will find much to enjoy within these pages.

Featured Indonesian stories include:

• The Magic Headcloth, in which a wise and clever young man outwits a cruel and greedy king
• The Woodcarver's True Love, a story about a pure heart and the real meaning of love
• The Caterpillar Story, how, because of kindness and honor, a chain of unlikely events ended in true happiness
• And many more!

Set in tropical rainforests, on balmy beaches, and in the remote highlands of the Indonesian islands, this multicultural children's book offers a taste of how universal values of bravery, cleverness, true love, kindness and loyalty are transmitted to Indonesian children. It makes a perfect new addition for story time or bedtime reading. Astute princesses, resourceful villagers and daring travelers appear throughout this vast archipelago to tell their stories and charm readers of all ages.

The Children's Favorite Stories series was created to share the folktales and legends most beloved by children in the East with young readers of all backgrounds in the West. Other multicultural children's books in this series include: Asian Children's Favorite Stories, Indian Children's Favorite Stories, Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, Filipino Children's Favorite Stories, Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet, Chinese Children's Favorite Stories, Korean Children's Favorite Stories, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories, and Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories.

Review Quotes

"...Neon color-and-line illustrations flow across spreads, engagingly depicting the landscape, people, the cultural milieu...A delightful introduction to the archipelago's rich and varied culture." --School Library Journal

"I absolutely love each one of these (and so do the chicks, for all they are 10 & 12 now) and recommend them for bedtime stories, afternoon stories, or really stories any time. The format and length make them great for reading aloud as well as quietly." --The Red Hen Bookshop

"The stories are fun and full of action, and the illustrations are bright and colorful. This book is full of eight stories that share a bit about the cultures of Indonesia as well as the life lessons that so many of our own stories share." --Crafty Moms Share blog

About the Author

Joan Suyenaga was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii where she grew up reading Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, the first title in this popular series. She has been writing, translating and editing for the past 20 years in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her three children were the first to hear the stories featured in this volume of stories on Indonesia.

Illustrator:
Salim Martowiredjo is a well-known Indonesian artist known for his depiction of Indonesian rural life.