The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: WHEN Cheeming Boey's first book, When I Was A Kid, hit the bookstores here last year, it jumped right to the top of the non-fiction bestseller list. Between book signings, interviews and his art and writing, Boey – who is a Malaysian artist/animator currently based in the United States – has garnered quite a following. His second book, When I Was A Kid 2, was released last month and it looks like it is all set to follow in the footsteps of the first. His stories tell of a childhood that many people would find easy to identify with – a world where a child's logic rules supreme even if it defies the laws of physics and conventional common sense. It is a world where, for a limited number of years, two plus two can equal whatever you want it to be. It is this fleeting phase in life that Boey has immortalised in his books. The sketches, lovingly rendered in the same semi-comic book style as the first, are charming in their simplicity. Drawing freehand on paper with pen, Boey leaves mistakes and cross-outs in, so it doesn't lose the personal touch of a journal – his books began life as a journal. He maintains a consistent tone throughout that feels authentic, and many a story will strike a familiar chord with readers young and old alike. These are stories that many of us know growing up, yet he manages to make it all sound fresh. You don't know what the next page turn will bring you, and he does a good job of injecting fun and nostalgia into the seemingly mundane. In an earlier interview with this writer, he described his writing style as "unapologetic and honest" – which is evident in this book. There is a nice surprise in store at the end of When I Was A Kid 2: Boey has included suggestions from his mum, who read his book before it went to print ... but it sure looks like he didn't heed her advice! His mum, who has become quite a hit with his blog readers (she occasionally appears in his stories), includes a disclaimer to one of my favourite stories in the book (see Terrarium pics ABOVE). She offers an explanation to Boey's horrific tale, an alternative ending, if you will. Don't skip to the end of the book for this; I recommend saving this note from mum for the last. To new readers, head over to iamboey.com and check out his hand-drawn blog. If you like what you see, chances are that you will like his book just as much, if not more. > When I Was A Kid 2 is available at all major bookstores. |
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