The sea monkey: A picture story from Malaysia

by Geraldine Kaye, Gay Galsworthy (Illustrator)

"Kassim was worried. Last night from underneath his house which stands in the sea on long bamboo stilts came strange chittering-chattering, chittering-chattering noises. Was it the sea spirits, he wondered? And then later that morning when he found a baby monkey with eyes as grey as the sea, he was sure the sea spirits had left it for him."

Genres: Animals

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1968

About the author

Geraldine Kaye started writing at the age of nine and is the author of many books for children and teenagers. She has been published in thirteen languages and in 1984 won the Other Award for Comfort Herself. She was also a teacher of creative writing. Geraldine Kaye died in 2010.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An illustrated book set in Malaysia , The Sea Monkey is the story of two children, Kassim and Siti who live near the sea with their parents and grandfather. When a monsoon strikes the family, they worry for their livelihood and are joined at the same time by a baby monkey. Both children see it as a good sign but their elders do not. The rest of the story sees Kassim try and protect Adek from being cast out.
It is a nice story which gives you a small glimpse into a rural life in Malaysia. It is interesting to note that Kaye has lived in Singapore and Malaysia for several years where she taught and wanted to share some of the sociological and cultural heritage which she had encountered. Illustrations are by Gay Galsworthy.