Brunei - Children's Books

Brunei is a family-friendly place to visit for cultural learning and ecological adventures.

Do you know of any other children’s books featuring Brunei? Please feel free to note it in a comment below! 

Children's Books about Bruneian Folk Tales and Legends

The Bubble Princess and The Stone Heart: Inspired by two of Brunei Darussalam's beloved legends, this is the untold tale of the unlikeliest of friendships, a curse and a journey to self-discovery. The story revolves around our heroine Cordelia (a girl with bubble powers that correspond to her feelings) and her trusty companion Aegir (a 500-year-old ancient ocean spirit). One day her Babah goes missing and she’s forced to brave the dangers of the outside world to go look for him. On her journey she runs into pirates and a boy named Jim Bashir who bears a curse that turns him to stone. Will he ever reverse his curse? Will she ever find her Babah?

Jellyfish Folklores: The Bubble Princess & The Steadfast Sea: Ever wondered why there’s always so much water teeming along the Bruneian village? Or why do magical beings rarely come out to play anymore? What makes a grown pirate cry? Why do islands always prefer to be left alone? Well, we’ll find out. This story is a re-adaptation of two Brunei’s traditional folklore. a story exploring the true meaning of learning to let go and seeking the courage to help the ones you love.

Legend of Jong Batu: The book Legend of Jong Batu came in second place in the Brunei History Illustration Story Writing Competition held by the Brunei History Centre in 2011. This book tells the story of a wealthy young merchant, named Si Manis who was both attractive and well-known in Brunei for his kindness and generosity. His mother, Dang Ambun had been giving alms and becoming destitute ever since Si Manis went to Sulok on business.

Legenda: Brunei Folklore Anthology: Princesses from mythical realms fighting over dragon orbs. Longhouse that sank into the earth. A battle between a young man and a gigantic snake.  There are the few that can be found within Legenda: Brunei Folklore Anthology.  Venture into the world of Brunei folklores, filled with mystique, lessons to be learned and tragedies to mourn.

Folktales of Southeast Asia: This collection includes The Dragon of Kinabalu (Brunei), The Origin of the Tiger (Cambodia), An Old Sumatran Legend (Indonesia), Sieng Mieng and the King's Appetite (Laos), A Long Wait (Malaysia), Why the Cormorant has no Tail (Myanmar), The Ginder of Aunt Guinampang (Phillippines), The Intended Attach of China (Singapore), The Wise Merchant (Thailand), and The Begger in the Blanket (Vietnam). This book was produced in co-operation with the Singapore National Library Board and illustrated by Lesley Gan.

Children's Books about Stories in Brunei

Into the Mangroves: A Brunei Story by Bruneians: Mr Boatman takes a mum and her kids on a tour of the Brunei mangroves. On their journey, they encounter some of the wildlife and local legends are revealed to them.

Family Recipe: A Brunei story by Bruneians: This is a book about family. A mother shares her traditional recipes with her daughter.  Time may pass but some things remain the same.

Sideways And Seaways: Meet Cai the crab, a crab who lives with his mummy. And although he’s a good boy she worries that he often walks “funny”.  Based on Brunei’s traditional peribahasa, “Ketam Mengajar Anaknya Berjalan Lurus”, the story of Cai the crab shows us that sometimes, not all advice ought to be taken word by word. The story also inspires us to be mindful and that we ought to practice what we preach.

The King And The Minister: A beautiful children's book about a story of a wise minister who has some important advice for the King. Will the King listen? Will the advice prevail? Suitable for preschool children to read on their own and/or for bedtime reading. Illustrations are made from original water-colour paintings. Based in Brunei, author Dr. Aammton Alias is a family physician and an author of horror stories and supernatural sci-fi novel series. He describes himself as a helper-bee, which means he is keen to help and share; and in the past, ready to ‘sting for the cause’.

Riki and the Bird's Nest: Riki explores the beach and the nearby forest. Whilst bird spotting, she uncovers bird traps and a bird’s nest that is not in the right place.  A vividly illustrated children's' book written by best-selling author Dr. Aammton Alias and illustrator Hadimages.  This book series has environmentalism and activism themes.

Riki and the Dream Seed: Riki finds a mysterious 'pebble' on the beach, and finds out much later that it is no ordinary seed. Riki and her cat have a mini-adventure with the 'dream seed'. This is a STEM theme children's book.

Raffie & Simpor Wild Adventures: The 'Brunei Wildlife Warriors' is a group of like minded -people , from various backgrounds, who desire the same outcome - to educate children about the conversation of the flora and fauna around them. We would like to make the children aware of the beautiful species they have on their doorstep and how important it is to look after them. This comic is made in the hope it raises awareness of the plight of the flore and fauna in Brunei. The aim of the comic is to entertain and educate the children that live in Brunei, as our future caretakers of the world. 

The Chronicles of Tebuanman: TebuanMan is Brunei's first A grade action hero comic book written and drawn by local author; Khai Anwar as the scriptwriter and Adi Farhan Othman as the pencil artist.

Children's Books for Travel to Brunei

My First Book - Brunei: The culture, the beauty, the landmarks, the food - it is simply fascinating. In this book, we cover all of those magical elements about BRUNEI in a digestible and engaging way!

Brunei: A Variety of Facts, Children's People and Places Book (Bold Kids): Located on the northern part of Borneo, Brunei is a country that is largely coastal. It is surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea. It is one of the richest countries in Southeast Asia. It also has a high life expectancy and low crime rate.

Brunei (Cultures of the World): Readers visit the island of Borneo to explore the history, people, and culture of the nation of Brunei. They discover chapters devoted to Brunei's geography and environment, history and government, and economics and ethnic groups. In addition, they're treated to fun facts about the ways people relax, celebrate, and cook in this country. Up-to-date main text presents essential information and is paired with colorful photographs of the landscapes and daily life of Brunei. From learning the language to trying popular recipes, the interactive elements of this reading experience are sure to appeal to future world travelers.

Brunei Coloring Book For Kids: With Interesting Facts: This coloring book is designed for children who want to learn about the wonderful country that is Brunei! This unique coloring book includes over 30 high-quality illustrations designed to entertain and engage, providing hours of coloring fun. Each page contains an interesting fact about Brunei which will help your child learn about the country, culture, food, language and people.