The story of the Chinese zodiac and other Asian folk tales feature in new book
A new book, Our Folktales – The All-Time Favourite Folktales of Asia, features stories from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore, and hopes to share them with the world
Childhood memories are bound to be stirred for many by Our Folktales – The All-Time Favourite Folktales of Asia, a book launched last month by the Singapore Book Council and independent publisher World Scientific Publishing.
Editor Ruth Wan-Lau says the collection, which comprises stories from eight countries – China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore – aims to share Asian folk tales with the rest of the world.
“This book illustrates the diversity and wonder of Asia through stories that have been passed down through generations,” says Wan-Lau from Singapore. “So many popular children’s books tend to be from the West, so it’s nice to be pulling from what’s around us.”
While a magical thread runs through the words and illustrations, themes such as cultural identity and family are strong. There are other important messages, too, says Wan-Lau, such as female empowerment.