Kampung Boy

                When I began reading Kampung Boy, I really was unsure what to expect. What I got upon completion, was a children’s book that can speak to any age. The comedy would appeal to a younger group, while the aspects of culture and the town of Kampong disappearing would appeal more to adults. By following Mat throughout Kampung Boy, we are introduced to life in Malaysia and how it changed.

                Throughout the story, I found the drawings to often portray more of a humorous tone then the words that accompanied the drawings. I like that the drawings portrayed humor because that would make this book an easier read for children. While this book does speak to adult topics, I believe that this book is perfect for children as well. I enjoyed that we were able to look at another culture through the eyes of a child and children within schools today could compare and contrast their lives to what we are shown by Mat.

                Something that was rather intriguing was that the book seemed to jump around as if it was written by a child because of how it jumped from place to place. We would be reading about Mat and his schooling and the next page we are shown he has another brother. It was interesting to keep up with the storyline as it jumped around, because I would have to think back and link together the family and everything that has taken place. I also became curious at this point how younger students would do when reading this book. I was worried about students being able to link everything together throughout the entire story.

                One of my favorite things throughout Kampung Boy, was being able to see all of the traditions and differences with my own coming of age. This is also where I became curious about what age this book this book is normally taught at. When the circumcision section within the book came up, I stopped to think about how to explain that to children. I am guessing there is a particular way to go about explaining this situation to students, but I was caught off guard when it came up within the story. Other than the circumcision aspect though, this story is a great coming of age story and would be a great read for students.

                Overall this story is relatable for most people as we have all dealt with coming of age stories and handled our difficulties along the way. As I neared the end of the story, I began thinking about my own coming of age and preparing to leave for college. It is weird to think back and remember the anxiety and sadness of leaving everything in attempt to discover something new. I believe each of us handles these situations different and yet similar in many ways as we all will come of age and reflect back on what has happened. Like Mat, I came from a rather small town that many people have never heard of. I felt similarity between both of our experiences and it reminded me how nervous I was to take on a similar adventure. This is a great read and a book I would attempt to use within the curriculum within my own classroom.