Kampung Boy [Paperback]

Lat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006

Kampung Boy is a favorite of millions of readers in Southeast Asia. With masterful economy worthy of Charles Schultz, Lat recounts the life of Mat, a Muslim boy growing up in rural Malaysia in the 1950s: his adventures and mischief-making, fishing trips, religious study, and work on his family's rubber plantation. Meanwhile, the traditional way of life in his village (or kampung) is steadily disappearing, with tin mines and factory jobs gradually replacing family farms and rubber small-holders. When Mat himself leaves for boarding school, he can only hope that his familiar kampung will still be there when he returns. Kampung Boy is hilarious and affectionate, with brilliant, super-expressive artwork that opens a window into a world that has now nearly vanished.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Malaysian comics creator Lat makes his American debut with this down-to-earth account of childhood in a Southeast Asian kampung, or village. His black-and-white text resembles a chronological sketchbook, with stilt-houses and jungle plants inked on each page, and handwritten text explaining events and customs. Impatient readers might wish for a glossary or map: "I was born in a kampung in the heart of the world's largest tin-mining district—the Kinta Valley in Perak," says the narrator, and leaves it at that. But most will enjoy the protagonist's casual chronicle of rites of passage such as a hair-shaving ceremony ("adat cukur kepala"), lessons in the Koran at age six, the Bersunat (circumcision) ceremony at age 10, and a trip to the movies circa 1960. From the window of his house, he sees a rubber plantation and hears the "distant roaring sound... of a tin dredge." Later, Constable Mat Saman, a Barney Fife–like zealot toting an automatic rifle, chases villagers who pan the river for saleable tin scraps. Lat's adults have narrow chests and slouch pelvis-first, while mischievous children canoe, dive and fish in the river. This first in a projected series ends on a to-be-continued note, with the narrator leaving for boarding school and already homesick for the kampung. Lat's loose, laid-back stories of Muslim family life and school should appeal to Marjane Satrapi fans; with humor and affection, Lat makes the exotic kampung feel familiar. All ages. (Sept.)
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From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 4 Up–Kampung Boy is a pleasure to read. It follows the early life of a Muslim boy growing up in a tiny town in Malaysia during the 1950s. Incidents are well chosen and illuminating, including the rituals surrounding birth, the solidity and pride of family, the joy of skinny-dipping, and the fanfare of a traditional circumcision ceremony. All are handled tastefully and with nostalgic reverence. Illustrations are simple, yet emotionally expressive and charming. As engaging as any travelogue, the book uses universal themes to connect readers to a time and place that may very well no longer exist, but sincere reflection and honest details will draw them into this other world and win their hearts. American audiences are lucky to finally receive this international classic.–Dawn Rutherford, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: First Second (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596431210
• ISBN-13: 978-1596431218
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Teens > Education & Reference > History

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long ago (circa the 1950s) and far away (re: Malaysia), September 10, 2006

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kampung Boy (Paperback)

Everybody talks about how important it is to promote multiculturalism to our children. Kids are fed the usual everybody's different/everybody's the same stuff year after year, sometimes illustrated with color pictures in a social studies textbook. The obvious conclusion to draw from this would be to think that this would mean that the world of publishing books for kids would be rife with writers from all over the world. Yet one of the biggest shocks I received when I became a children's librarian was to see the lamentable lack of books for the kiddies from any countries aside from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and sometimes Australia. I was baffled. We hardly get any books from India? But aren't they an English speaking country anyway? And how about, oh I dunno, the ENTIRE CONTINENT OF AFRICA? Nothing? Nada? Oh, I was pissed, no question. Since that time, I've put a fair amount of energy into trying to read every little tiny children's book from another continent, no matter how small. Lately, however, I've been falling down on the job. I don't know if it's ennui or the fact that I've been reading a lot of books solely from the U.S. lately, but when "Kampung Boy" flew out of left field and ker-whalloped me upside the head, I never saw it coming. Sweet child of mine, this isn't just a graphic novel (with far more emphasis on the "novel" part than usual). It's a graphic novel originally set and published in Malaysia. And the year it was originally published in Malaysia? 1979. Now the book, all thanks to First Second Books, has come here to the U.S. o' A. and I couldn't be happier. Let's practice a little of what we preach, okay? You believe in multiculturalism? Then give this book to a kid right now.

Mat was born in Malaysia to a stern but pleasant mother and a deeply warm and caring father. Raised in a kampung (or village), the reader watches as he goes through the basic day-to-day events of growing up. The kampang is situated beside a rubber plantation and a tin mine and young Mat spends his days growing and learning. He attends school so as to learn Tajwid (reading Arabic with the proper enunciation). He makes friends with some of the local boys and spends his days swimming and checking his fish traps. At ten he's ritually circumcised (and it turns out to be far more boring than painful). Of course, Mat would love to spend his days just fishing and hanging out with his friends. His father, on the other hand, would like him to do especially well in his studies so that he can be admitted to a boarding school in another city. Mat isn't too thrilled at first, but then his father reveals to him that his inheritance is a great deal of land. Land that will be his if he passes his examination. Altogether, this is the story of one boy trying to figure out what he wants out of life. Does he stay with what he's familiar and comfortable with? Or does he leave the kampang he loves in search of better things?

Lat. You ever heard of him? No? Well, I'm basically talking about "one of the most beloved cartoonists in Southeast Asia", or so the bookflap says. So why the 27 year old gap between the book's appearance in Malaysia and its sudden cropping up here? Dunno. Perhaps, and stay with me on this one, American publishers weren't convinced of the crossover appeal. I know. Shocking. Credit First Second, of whom I am rapidly becoming a fan, with bringing books of this nature to the graphic novel (to say nothing of librarian) market. The writing itself is methodical, but never really ever dull. There's a great deal of humor here alongside the storytelling. It also impressed me deeply that Lat took the time to show significant moments, like his ceremonial circumcision, alongside small family memories that smack of the truth. There's a great moment when Mat's dad attempts to impress his offspring with diving stunts of various styles. Or, more significantly, when his dad would take Mat to the tiny village railroad station to watch the enormous 5 o'clock mail train whiz by.

The design of this book was one I haven't seen much of before. Rather than the standard panels, speech bubbles, and other graphic novel tropes, "Kampung Boy" seems far more inclined towards fitting descriptions and text in where the illustrations allow for white space. Dialogue, when it appears, is quoted as you would find it in a book rather than a graphic novel. The illustrations themselves are just pen and ink, but they have a kind of goofy sophistication. My husband glanced through the book and remarked that there were times that he was reminded of that old Mad Magazine comic artist Don Martin. Lat also isn't afraid to engage in silent and entirely visual passages, as his characters dash from mischief to avoiding punishment what they've just done. The characters themselves are fabulous too. It's all barrel-chested adults and squat roly-poly kids. Noses tend to look like a lowercase letter "w", but with an extra loop for good measure. Individuals, by the way, are very easy to pick out. I was especially fond of the kooky cock-eyed circumciser who sits with a perpetual and never changing smile in his face.

I was somewhat amazed to see that in the Publisher's Weekly review of "Kampung Boy" (quoted as saying, "with humor and affection, Lat makes the exotic kampung feel familiar."), there is an assumption that this book is better suited for fans of Marjane Satrapi. I can only assume that the author of the review was aware of very few graphic novelists when they wrote such a comment and rather than compare Lat's work to Art Spiegelman, they grasped at the only other artist they could think of. I'm a huge fan of Marjane Satrapi, don't get me wrong, but what (aside from the graphic novel format and the fact that author/illustrator is not American) similarities exist between "Kampung Boy" and "Persepolis"? "Persepolis" is a deeply personal and political adult treatise on living in a repressive state. "Kampung Boy" is far better suited for a child audience, with far more attention paid to the main character's personal growth than that of a nation as a whole. I've said it before and I'll say it again... give "Kampung Boy" to a kid, pronto.

As pointed out in a review of this book by Read About Comics, there is no formal storytelling structure to "Kampung Boy". Also, the ending leaves you hanging. Our last image, not to give anything away, is of Mat in the back of a bus headed away from the only place he's ever lived. I suspect that those who feel a connection to Lat's tale will be clamoring for First Second to publish the follow up novel, "Town Boy". There are few graphic novels that could do more than this book to bring entirely new worlds to the attention of their child readers. This is one of those very few. I'm a little worried that the design of the cover won't immediately attract young readers. Still, if they just read a couple pages, some (if not all) of the graphic novel enthusiasts will find a kid here worth rooting for. Engaging, fun, and deserving of its praise.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Childhood, December 12, 2007

By 

Sweet Potato - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Kampung Boy (Paperback)

Here's a graphic novel about a boy growing up in Asia. It's fun to read because there is a lot of humor. I tried to read it to my 4-year-old son, but it's too long for him to pay attention.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for any age., March 29, 2007

By 

Michele Delattre "Michele Delattre (ORIAS)" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kampung Boy (Paperback)

This is quite a wonderful graphic novel and should be in every k-12 school library -- probably several copies because once parents get their hands on it they'll want to keep it. It provides an engaging glimpse into growing up as a boy in a Muslim Malaysian village where the traditional agricultural life is on the verge of disappearing. For history/social science teachers it provides great material for talking about the practice of Islam outside the Middle East, industrialization, education, friendship and childhood rites of passage, -- how to have fun without screens. When someone (firstsecond books?) publishes the follow-up volume, Town Boy, there is terrific material for discussions of multiculturalism. But apart from all these classroom excuses, it is hilarious and will just make you happy.