Book Review: Mata di Tanah Melus

Title: Mata di Tanah Melus

Writer: Okky Madasari

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

First Printing 2018

192 pages

After releasing six novels, Entrok, 86, Maryam, Pasung Jiwa, Kerumunan Terakhir and the latest one was a short stories collection Yang Bertahan dan Binasa Perlahan (2017), now finally Okky Madasari launched her first children book, Mata di Tanah Melus. 

Mata di Tanah Melus is the response for Okky's restlessness. As a mother with a small little girl, I felt her, that sometimes it's a bit hard to get good books for our kids. A story that brings something. Fun, educative, but still made in line with the kids' age. English children books are a lot but once in a while we need to get Indonesian book just to introduce the kids with their own local wisdom and to date there are still not to many options for Indonesian children book that are able to capture children's heart. With the current gadget attack, it's a serious work to create a book that is able to make the kids glue to the story until finished.

Although the book stated as  children novel 5+ however I started reading it before my girls do. As a fan of Okky's works, I am curious how Okky wrote this child adventure. Would she be successful?

I guess so, it's an adventure of a little girl, Matara, who joins her mom trip to Belu, East Nusa Tenggara. One day something happens  and Mata is separate from her mother and landed in Melus Land. Here is the adventure, Mata experiences lots of incredible stuffs. She needs to be on her own and fights to survive.

Okky said that this is her first book of kids adventure and she promised to continue working on this project. Can't wait for another adventure.