By: Lat Publisher: First Second Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: First Second Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 144 Publication Date: September 05, 2006 Reading Level: Ages 9-12 Release Date: September 05, 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 thatopens a window into a world that has now nearly vanished.
A Must-Have There is no better fun way to understand Malaysia in its multi-cultural context than through reading this book, even those who never really love comics would fall for this comic instantly. How life, no matter how simple it is, could be so colorful when experienced with a child's innocence and wondering.
great family book 4.5 STARS OUT OF FIVE...
i really enjoyed reading this book with my kids, and they really enjoyed it too...asking when we could continue the tale?.... the illustrations are fantastic... well worth re-visiting. there is a very nce and authentic feel to Lat's story telling and this story of growing up is brilliant, without being intense. the vibe of the book is rare to find... very honest. i'd also reccomend it for solving the problem of getting boys to be interested in reading for a few different reasons.
Childhood 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.
A Great Graphic Novel Kampung Boy is one of the sweetest and lovely graphic novels I have read in a long time. A pre-quel to Town Boy, Kampung Boy gives us a first hand account of Lat's early growing-up years in his tiny village in Malaysia. Intricate drawings capture the stance and the expressions of his family and neighbors beautifully; they convey the flavor and atmosphere of his little town; the words are just right; the sentiment is nicely doled out & not treacle-y.
A real love letter to his childhood!
Talented Lat gives us a glimpse into traditional Malay village life Having spent most of my childhood in Malaysia, I grew up reading Lat comics. As I grew older, I began to collect his works and even after more than two decades, I still treasure his works, and find them to be great character studies of ordinary folk, as well as an authentic portrait of life in Malaysia.
In Kampung Boy, Lat revisits his childhood days in a Malay village located in the tin-mining district of Perak. His drawings are simple, and even a bit stereotypical [based on the usual profiles of the different ethnic races, be it Malay, Indian or Chinese], yet they aptly capture various emotions such as joy, anger, frustration etc. The stories are wonderfully authentic, for I myself have spent some time in small Malay villages, and know exactly how it was like back then. Things have changed now of course, with the inevitable rapid development that has characterised much of Malaysia. This makes Lat's work all the more important - for it captures a bygone era, a more innocent time, when kids were left to their own devices to entertain themselves [having no TV, computers or other modern amenities]. Fishing, swimming in the river, even tin panning[!] kept Lat and company occupied back then.
I hope Lat's work gets wider recognition [he is a legend in the annals of Malaysian comics], and I think Kampung Boy is definitely a book that will appeal to most kids, and even adults who enjoy simple, heartfelt stories peopled by memorable characters.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
