Nenek Tata is preparing for a normal day, gathering water, feeding her animals and checking the crab traps in the mangrove swamp before the first storm of the monsoon arrives.

But it turns out to be a not-so-normal day, for when she gets inside the gloomy jungles of the swamp, she is confronted by a huge, dripping, brown monster. And, when the monster follows her, she is forced to defend her home to the last …

Set in Malaysia’s eastern-most state of Sabah, this delightful spooky story is told in the style of hantu stories — ghost tales — told to young children, often by grandparents, to entertain them and keep them safe from the dangers of the swamps and jungles.

Illustrations

Through 35 dynamic, full-colour illustrations, the tranquil rural coastal landscape is transformed as the storm approaches and the drama unfolds, drawing the reader deeper into the mystery. What is this monster, where did it come from?

The beauty of the shapes and colours of north Borneo’s native vegetation and animals, along with the exquisite styles of Kadazan-Dusun textures and patterns, are artfully captured in a wonderland of storytelling that merges cultures for children and adults interested in distant times and places. The fine attention to detail gives readers hours of enjoyment in a wild and rollicking adventure that will keep young readers at the edge of the knees they’re sitting on, and gazing long into the mysteries of the art.