Stories of the Islands reimagines some Indoensian folktales with a feminist spin. Women tend to be overlooked or underestimated, so Angkasa retells these stories from the women's perspectives. Women who were given no agency or just labeled a victim stand up and save themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reading copy.

I loved reading this graphic novel. Through it I was introduced to Indonesian folklore that I was unfamiliar with. The stories themselves were beautiful, as were the illustrations that went along with them. The stories are short; it would be very easy to read this in one sitting if you’re looking for a quick read.

This graphic novel is out now.

It's always a pleasure to be introduced to folklore with which I was previously unfamiliar, and these stories were so satisfying and beautifully illustrated. I loved this book!

This book was precious! I loved the illustrations and how unique the stories were. They definitely had that traditional childhood story feel to them, which I found very comforting.

Once upon a time. . .

A princess was cursed to live as a snail,

Two sisters were trapped by their father’s wrath,

And a mother and daughter faced a hungry giant.


No one is coming to save them.

Will they get their happily ever after?

The tradition of folklore in the very nature of storytelling lends itself to changes to fit various cultures. Traditional folktales from any region usually places the female main character as a woman to be rescued. In these modern retellings of three popular Indonesian folktales, Clar Angkasa has retained elements of the stories while empowering the women with the ability to change their own futures. The new stories give readers a glimpse of the Indonesian culture while still teaching girls to rely on themselves and each other. The author discusses her reasons for changing the stories in her forward, but she provides the original folktales for comparison. I appreciate having both the originals and the retellings in one book. Her beautiful pastel artwork captures the eye and enchants the heart.

I love both folktales and graphic novels, so I was excited to receive a review copy from the publisher Holiday House. In my honest opinion, I recommend this book to children of all ages. The book is aimed at middle grades and older, but the stories would make good read aloud tales for story time as well.

Thank you to the Netgalley, Holiday House, and Clar Angkasa for an advanced copy of the book! All opinions are my own. Available as of October 31, 2023.

Stories of the Islands is a beautiful graphic novel containing the retellings of three Indonesian folk tales. Each tale is written to center around the women and girls in the story and give them agency. Since I was not previously familiar with these myths, I appreciated that the original tales were included as well. It highlighted what changes were made, while simultaneously making them more impactful. The color palette and art style were very comforting, which added to the atmospheric feeling of reading fairytales. It was great to see the beautiful landscapes and detailed backgrounds in this style as well.

This was a fun quick read. I really enjoyed the different folktales. The graphics were amazing and fit each tale perfectly. I didn't know any of these tales going into the book so I am glad Clar Angkasa included the original tales at the end.

The Golden Snail is my favorite. I like how she learned in the end that everyone is equal. She treated her sister horribly in the beginning simply because she was the oldest.
I also really liked Timun Mas (Golden Cucumber). We don't always have to listen to what others think we need in live. There are also times when we don't realize something is missing until we have it and then lose it.

A beautiful collection of reimagined folk tales from Indonesia, retold with a feminist twist. The artwork is stunning and captures the magical fantasy landscapes so well. I'm definitely adding this to our class library soon - I think it will pair so well with the Rick Riordan Presents line of books, and it's perfect for lovers of Amulet or 5 Worlds.

"Stories of the Islands" is a collection of three short stories, all based on different myths.

I hadn't heard of any of the myths before reading, but I found the implementation very successful and exciting to read. The drawing style and the chosen colors emphasized the atmosphere and the story itself very well.

The individual stories were quite short and easy to follow. In general, the book itself is also quite short and can be read perfectly in one sitting.

I enjoyed all three stories equally and would definitely recommend this collection!

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for this EARC!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Stories of the islands is a lovely collection of 3 short stories that are reimagined Indonesian folktales. The stories center around women, their lives and decisions. It was very refreshing to read these. The original folktales are also present at the end of the book to show how these short stories deviate and put the focus on women and give them the agency to tell their story.
I enjoyed all the short stories, Keong Mas being my favorite.
The illustrations are soothing purple and beige toned and provide a great medium for the stories.

Really enjoyed this one. It’s aimed at kids but I think anyone who enjoys fairytales and would like something light to read would enjoy this graphic novel. Definitely worth your time.

Stories of the Islands by Clar Angkasa focuses on feminist retellings of three Indonesian folktales centered around women. In one, a flawed princess lives as the snail companion of a fisherwoman, praying for her salvation until she learns she must pray for others. In another, two stepsisters must navigate life from childhood bliss to the wrath of their heartbroken father, using their love for one another as their guide. In the final story, a woman unexpectedly becomes a mother and then must use the natural world to protect herself and her daughter from a ferocious shadowy giant.

The enchanting and heartfelt illustrations perfectly meld with these bold yet comforting reimaginings. In turns soothing, hopeful, frightening, realistic, and fantastical, Stories of the Islands by Clar Angkasa fills a vital gap and provides a new lens with which to examine all the stories that are told.

This was a fantastic graphic novel! I've never read any Indonesian folktales so this was a really fun experience. The three stories, “Keong Mas”, “Bawang Merah Bawang Putih”, and “Timun Mas”, were all great stories and I think that they lent themselves to the graphic novel medium very well. The artwork and the colors really popped. I hope that this author does more, I would love to read more Indonesian folktales.

Stories of the Islands is a beautifully illustrated retelling of three Indonesian folktales. The stories were fascinating in the way that folktales usually are. The artwork was incredible, with amazing use of color. These were folktales that I had never heard or read before and I really appreciated the author sharing them in a new and interesting way.

This graphic novel was like a warm hug.

The three stories that are included here have one of the most beautiful arts and have the capacity to make you believe in stories that are beyond our world. I loved all the three parts of the graphic novel.

The characters were rich in the story, each story was derived from folklore. I loved how easy the reading felt, it felt really great to read stories that were based on something that we heard as kids. The stories were a breath of fresh air amidst the chaos of everyday life.

I would definitely recommend this to everyone because it just has that charm of being amazing with so little.
Thankyou netgalley for the ARC.

Stories of the Islands is a collection of illustrated short stories that play on traditional Indonesian folklore and fairytales. Each story puts the women involved in a position of power and focuses on hope, family bonds, and finding joy. The artwork is lovely, with soft curves and gently contrasting colors palettes (purple and yellow, blue and orange, and green and red) for each of the three stories. I loved how much feeling was put into each story and appreciated the different types of love shown between friends, sisters, and mother and daughter. Plus for readers like me who are unfamiliar with the original stories, there are short versions of each original tail at the end of the book. Although you certainly don’t need to know the original fairytales to enjoy these reinterpretations.

I loved all the stories. Wished they were more to them. I did find myself flipping through the pages back and forth a few times on the first fairytale story. Where the princess was cursed to be a snail. I didn't realize it until mid story she was a snail. Other then that I really enjoyed all stories. Great illustrations.

Inspired by Indonesian folktales, this graphic novel gives a different take on the classic tales. This book has such beautiful illustrations and once I start reading, I was unable to stop. The stories are very interesting and I definitely learnt a thing or two throughout reading this amazing book. It's such a great thing that this book is in graphic novel form and I highly recommend everyone to read this book.

This is a really beautiful collections of Indonesian myths retold with a feminist lens. Angkasa reworks these stories so that the women have more agency and backstory and aren’t falling into heavy handed tropes (like evil stepmother). She does so with a light touch, and in the process provides a wonderful lesson that I think will leave a lasting impact on readers. I was especially pleased because these lessons, especially in the second and third story, are not common but are so necessary.

For example, in Bawang Merah Bawang Putih (2nd story), I think there was a powerful message that sometimes abuse comes from people who are supposed to love you, and that it’s okay to remove yourself (even though it’s hard). I think of the three stories, this was my favorite. It’s certainly not a common message, especially in children’s media, but a powerful one. I think it’s told in an age appropriate way, and reinforces the power of healthy relationships, too.

In Keong Mas (1st story), we’re left with a the idea that an act of selflessness is powerful. I also think it speaks to humility.

And finally, in Timun Mas, the overarching theme is that it’s okay to march to your own drum. I really enjoyed that this explored parental love and single parenthood, while in the context of a really interesting story.

I also appreciated that at the end of the book, the author included context for the original stories, so you could see how she changed them. I think this makes her reimagining a all the more poignant.

This was a great read, with a set of unique mythological retelling a that provide a break from the usual Western fairytales.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be honest, I liked the illustrations of this book more than I enjoyed the stories. I wasn't really impressed by the author's work in retelling these Indonisian fairy tales. It felt a bit odd like something was missing in each tale. I hope to read the author's own imagined stories with such beautiful art in the future.