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Na Willa and the House in the Alley
by Reda Gaudiamo
Age Range: 9-11
Na Willa is a feisty and inquisitive little girl whose home is in the middle of an alley surrounded by cypress trees in the suburbs of Surabaya, Indonesia. She is always asking lots of questions: Why can’t she go home from school right now? Why can’t she play with her best friend Farida when she has chickenpox? And, most importantly, why can’t her nose be long and pointy like her parents Mak and Pak?
Na Willa’s mother, Mak, does her best to answer all her questions and her father Pak, who has returned home after being away at sea, has more time for Na Willa which makes her happy. She enjoys playing with all her friends, reading new books, and singing along to records, but then one day, her world is turned upside-down when Pak brings news that will change her life forever.
Based on Indonesian author Reda Gaudiamo’s memories of her childhood in the 1960s, Na Willa and the House in the Alley, (a sequel to The Adventures of Na Willa, 2019), has been translated by Ikhda Ayuning Maharsi Degoul and Kate Wakeling and is accompanied by charming comical pen and ink illustrations from Cecillia Hidayat.
This is another delectable collection of stories about a multicultural girl growing up in Indonesia. Na Willa’s narration of her daily musings is pervaded with lovely humour. Whether it’s visiting their new neighbours or Pak’s office, singing on the radio, or her days at school she is always full of enthusiasm. The reader also can’t help empathising with Na Willa when she realises that the momentous changes that are about to take place mean the life, she loves will never be the same again.
Useful footnotes throughout provides a translation of many of the Indonesian words, while at the back there are biographies of the author, illustrator and translators together with a section on ‘Ideas for your own stories, poems and pictures’ containing helpful suggestions from the text.
Gaudiamo is a writer, well-known singer, and musician through the AriReda duo, whose poetry-inspired ballads have captivated audiences across Southeast Asia and Europe.