HANG LI PO: THE TALE OF THE FIRST PERANAKAN/ by Catherine Khoo & Arai Kreva

• author: Catherine Khoo & Arai Kreva
• publisher: Epigram Books
• published in: 2021
• language: English

Recommended for ages 3 and above.

This is a Malaysian tale of how a young princess becomes the first Peranakan.

When Li Po travels from China to Malacca to marry the Sultan, the people are reluctant to welcome her as their Princess. But Li Po embraces all aspects of her new home and very cleverly blends elements of her past and present cultures. With her command of the Malay language and her ability to create new clothes and foods, she forms a hybrid culture—that of the Peranakans. Will the people of Malacca accept her now?

Catherine Khoo is an author, editor and publisher, and the founder and director of Janus Education, Singapore’s first boutique publisher of imprints for under-18s, by under-18s. Catherine is also the creator of the Savvy series, and the author of several books including Singapore Savvy: 50 Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, Malaysia Savvy: Top Profiles in Management, Love Notes and Golden Legends.

Arai Kreva is a full-time creative, dedicated to urban arts and illustration. Having worked with brands like Adidas, Culture Cartel, Passion Arts and Epigram Books, her range of works span from picture book illustrating to installations and street art. She is the illustrator of 'Elizabeth Meets the Queen', a picture book that is part of the Prominent Singaporean series published by Epigram Books.