Award winning author Mohana Gill makes it to the IBBY Honour List 2020

Malaysian author Mohana Gill, who has won various awards for her books on cooking, food and nutrition, has added yet another feather to her cap. Her Hayley’s Fantastic Fruits, an illustrated children’s book that takes young readers on an exciting journey through the world of fruits, has been selected for inclusion in the IBBY Honour List 2020.

IBBY, or the International Board on Books for Young People, was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 1953 as a non-profit organisation that is committed to bringing books and children together. It’s an international network comprising national sections from 81 member countries, including Malaysia. The Malaysian Board on Books for Young People (MBBY) is based at Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur.

Every two years, IBBY releases its Honour List, a selection of outstanding books that represent the best in children’s literature and that are suitable for publication around the world. The Honour List provides insights into the cultural, political and social settings in which children live and grow. Titles are submitted by the national sections, which can nominate one book for each of these categories: Writing, illustration, and translation.

Dato’ Ahmad Redza Ahmad Khairuddin, President of MBBY, said that Hayley’s Fantastic Fruits was an easy choice for submission because “it’s a very well written and beautifully illustrated book that engages children by appealing to all their senses. The storyline piques the curiosity and feeds the minds of young readers. Through this book, children learn to get excited about eating fruits, without even realising it – it’s also a gift to their parents!”

In the book, titular character Hayley is joined by her best friend Zac as well as their beloved pets Bonbon and Ziggy. The four of them visit Uncle Joe at his orchard, where he regales them with tales in exotic lands – from folk lore to mythical fables and fun facts – that revolve around fruits. Hayley’s Fantastic Fruits is one of eight titles from the Hayley’s Happylicious series, with each book focusing on helping children learn about a particular type of food. There are also easy recipes that children can recreate at home with their parents’ help. In creating the series, Mohana drew on her experience as a mother and grandmother.

“I have always been mindful of my health and what I eat,” says Mohana, who turned 83 earlier this year, “I wanted to impart that onto my grandchildren and I knew it had to be done in a fun, colourful way that would spark their imagination. Prior to the Hayley’s series, I’d written a number of cookbooks, all of which have won numerous international awards. So naturally, I thought of a series of books for children.” The books are thus very dear to her heart. Additionally, Hayley is named after Mohana’s granddaughter, while Bonbon and Ziggy are the actual names of their family pets.

This is the fourth accolade for Hayley’s Fantastic Fruits; the book has also picked up honours from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Nautilus Book Awards, and Book Excellence Awards.

“I am honoured to be part of the IBBY Honour List 2020, this means that Hayley’s adventures can be shared with more children from all corners of the world and hopefully, help inculcate a sense of healthy eating among the young ones,” says Mohana.

Hayley’s Fantastic Fruits along with the rest of the Honour List – the other Malaysian title that made it to this year’s list is Sayangku Apai by illustrator Mohd Khairul Azman Ismail – will circulate the world at exhibitions during conferences and book fairs. It will also be part of the permanent collections at the International Youth Library, Munich; Swiss Institute for Child and Youth Media, SIKIM, Zurich; Bibiana Research Collection, Bratislava; RBBY Central Children’s Library, St Petersberg; IBBY, Tokyo; World of Words, Tucson, USA; and the MBBY office in Kuala Lumpur.