Children's books for a family trip to Malaysia and Borneo

Children's books for a family trip to Malaysia and Borneo, from a rainforest treehouse to daily life in a Sabah longhouse.

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A story set where you are headed can turn the journey into part of the trip. For Malaysia and Borneo, that means children's books by authors and illustrators from Malaysia and Borneo, starting with The Wild Tree House of Borneo by Gwen Hew. Below are three books worth packing, each available in English with links to find them at Bookshop.org or Amazon.

Best Borneo rainforest pick
The Wild Tree House of Borneo
Gwen Hew, illustrated by Evi Shelvia · ages 4-8 · picture book

A child explores the Borneo rainforest and its creatures, from a Malaysian author-illustrator team.

Find at Bookshop.org Find on Amazon
Best longhouse-life pick
Longhouse Days
Jainal Amambing · ages 4-8 · picture book

A boy narrates daily life in a Rungus longhouse in Sabah, on the island of Borneo.

Find at Bookshop.org Find on Amazon
Best Sabah culture-and-wildlife pick
Land Below the Wind
Awang Fadilah · ages 6-9 · picture book

An ink-illustrated tour of Sabah's culture, wildlife and rural village life.

Find at Bookshop.org Find on Amazon
Also worth packing: By the River of Borneo (Gwen Hew); Atuk's Amazing Sarong (Lim Lay Har); My Mother's Garden (Emila Yusof).
Many of these come from small Malaysian presses, so it is best to order ahead from a Malaysian bookshop or buy the ebook.

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