Novel. Kampung Boy is a thinly veiled graphic autobiography of Malaysia’s most revered cartoonist. Published when he was only thirteen, it relates “Mat’s” life from birth until he leaves for boarding school. The author depicts Mus lim ceremonies, family life, school, and recreation through his personal recollections. He also includes observations about the transformation of his kampung, or village, from a family-oriented, agricultural economy to an industrialized corporate system. Lat’s wry—and occasionally acerbic—humor is revealed through his black-and-white line illustrations more than through the narrative. However, the two levels combine to create a seamless explora tion of a Malaysian childhood. 2007 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, 2006 Booklist Editor’s Choice, 2006 BCCB Blue Ribbon Book. Lat received the Malaysian honorific title Datuk in 1994 and the Malaysian Press Institute’s Special Jury Award. lmp

Originally published as The Kampung Boy by Berita Publishing Malaysia, in 1979.

Beloved by millions of readers in Southeast Asia, Kampung Boy is a humorous, fictionalized graphic memoir about a Muslim boy growing up in Malaysia.

With masterful economy worthy of Charles Schultz, Lat recounts the life of Mat, a Muslim boy growing up in rural Malaysia in the 1950s: his adventures and mischief-making, fishing trips, religious study, and work on his family's rubber plantation. Meanwhile, the traditional way of life in his village (or kampung) is steadily disappearing, with tin mines and factory jobs gradually replacing family farms and rubber small-holders. When Mat himself leaves for boarding school, he can only hope that his familiar kampung will still be there when he returns.

Kampung Boy is hilarious and affectionate, with brilliant, super-expressive artwork that opens a window into a world that has now nearly vanished.