This book is published by Ukiyoto Publishing

THE ILANG-ILANG SCENT by Zea Perez - Three Featured Book Reviews

'The Ilang-Ilang Scent by children’s author, Zea Perez, is an educational read for children and is relevant to what is occurring in many areas of the world today.'

'I liked the fact that the story doesn’t offer easy answers – it acknowledges the forces that make it difficult to clean the air: people need jobs, even jobs in dirty factories; they like the modern appliances that typically run on electricity derived from fossil fuel; they want to drive cars and fly in aeroplanes. But it also offers the possibility of change!'

'This break with the conventions of fairytale gives the book an urgency which parents will feel as they read the book to their children, and children will recognise and see reflected in their daily life when they read the book for themselves.'

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The Ilang-Ilang Scent by children’s author, Zea Perez, is an educational read for children and is relevant to what is occurring in many areas of the world today. The causes and effects of deforestation and environmental pollution, and the methods used to counter them, are dealt with in a simple and charming way with delightful and colourful illustrations.

The story revolves around a group of pixies, whose job it is to collect oxygen given out by the trees – including the sweet-scented ilang-ilang trees – in their waist pouches and carry it to the humans. It starts when a pixie boy called Oto flies down to the city from his forested home on the hilltop, to find the city enveloped by an ugly grey mist. He noted the tall chimneys of factories releasing vast amounts of grey smoke into the air, adding to the smoke and fumes belching out from the many vehicles on the roads, at sea, and in the air. Flying to the park, he saw that the leaves on the trees were wilting, and as he flew on over farms, fields and gardens, he could see smoke was also rising from the burning grasses, leaves and plastics.

One day, Oto is given the task of delivering oxygen to the house of a young girl who had become sick due to the effects of atmospheric pollution. We see how Oto helps her to breathe fresh, sweet-smelling air, and a friendship develops between them. The story moves on to look at ways of preventing harmful smog from polluting the environment and we are given a glimpse of a future with a cleaner and greener world to live in.

This is a longer and more detailed book than some of Ms Perez’s other works and the text is probably better suited to children closer to the upper end of the 5 - 10 age range, who will no doubt like to discuss the more difficult words and concepts. But the idea of the main character as a pixie should greatly appeal to younger children when shared and discussed with a parent, minder or early years teacher.

All in all, a lovely little book with important messages for all young readers.

A Book Review by Millie Thom
November 12, 2024
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I loved this little book about health and pollution and the need for clean air. A little girl is sick because of the pollution round her home; she cannot get better without clean air. Happily she has friends around her who want to help – not least a little pixie who brings her parcels of fresh air from the forest, a mom and dad who are trying to help, and a kindly aunt who lives near the forest and can give her respite from the smog in the city where she lives. I liked the fact that the story doesn’t offer easy answers – it acknowledges the forces that make it difficult to clean the air: people need jobs, even jobs in dirty factories; they like the modern appliances that typically run on electricity derived from fossil fuel; they want to drive cars and fly in aeroplanes. But it also offers the possibility of change, if everyone works together (sometimes with a bit of magical help, and who doesn’t want some of that?) A captivating little book with cute little illustrations.

A Book Review by JLD
December 09, 2024
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Another gentle but thought provoking story from this talented author and illustrator. With deceptively simple images and narrative, Perez explores for children the issue of pollution and the need for a change to cleaner energy. It is suffused with the love of nature which is a keystone for all Perez’s writing, and includes magical components and a quaint little family of pixies. Unusually, however, this is not a story set in a distant and fanciful never-never land, but in the modern world of cities, appliances, traffic and political demonstrations. This break with the conventions of fairytale gives the book an urgency which parents will feel as they read the book to their children, and children will recognise and see reflected in their daily life when they read the book for themselves. An perfect little book to give as a present for younger to middle-grade readers.

A Book Review by Carly Rheilan
December 01, 2024