There’s so much to like about the heroine of this story, feisty Nenek Tata, who leads young readers on a barefoot trek through a day that quickly moves from ordinary to extraordinary.
Confronted by a large mud-covered monster in a dark mangrove, Nenek fights fire with fire – well, with a bucket of freshly caught crabs. Is it a real monster, a monsoonal ghost … or something else?
Masterfully illustrated, this book captures both the steamy lushness of Malaysia’s Sabah region and the everyday-warrior character of Nenek. Told in the style of a traditional hantu story (a Malaysian ghost tale), Nenek Tata and the Mangrove Menace will have young readers gripped in suspense, while older readers will enjoy its cheeky humour.
A handy glossary of Malaysian terms helps with incidental learning.