Tapir’s New Colours

Tapir whispered to a star that blazed across the night, “I want a stunning, brand-new look that’s colourful and bright!”

Little Tapir is looking forward to his special birthday—he’ll be all grown-up and his colours will change! But when the day arrives, Tapir discovers to his dismay that he had turned just plain old black and white!

When his friend Mousedeer tells him about a magical waterfall that can transform him, Tapir wastes no time! Off he trots with his friends Frog, Squirrel and Mousedeer to find the magic that would turn him into a creature colourful, bold and bright.

Their journey is perilous—fraught with steep slopes, pointy claws, and raging rivers. While the little band almost gives up, it’s Tapir’s agility in climbing, talent for camouflaging, and skill of running underwater that saves the day! This action-packed tale, where Tapir’s bravery and kindness take centre stage, will have you rooting for him from start to end when he realises that the colours he wanted were within him, dazzling bright all along.

Tapir’s New Colours is a wondrous story about bravery, kindness, and the Malayan Tapir’s remarkable colour transformation and abilities that help it thrive in the Borneo Rainforest. Written in rhythmical rhyme, it is a brilliantly fun and engaging way to discover facts about this ancient creature that has looked the same for more than 20 million years.

Cecillia Hidayat’s lush illustrations include identifiable details of plants and creatures of the Malayan rainforest, giving readers another layer of visual exploration and discovery of Southeast Asian biodiversity.