Hikayat

Co-published by Kakiseni and MPH Publishing, Hikayat aims to capture the allure and magic of local traditional art by weaving them into stories for children to kindle their – and their parents’ – interest in Malaysian traditional art.

The Girl Who Loves to Dance written by Arisha Akhir and illustrated by Serah Boey, is the second title in Kakiseni’s Hikayat children’s book series, inspired by traditional Malaysian arts. In this story, we learn about mak yong, a dance-drama from Kelantan that is recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Thanks to people like Zamzuriah Zahari, an award-winning Mak Yong and a tireless advocate and educator of the art, we have a chance of preserving this tradition into the next century.