Books take children into new world

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): When parents read their children a good story, they take their offsprings into a new world, said Murti Bunanta, an expert in children's literature.

Murti is convinced that reading plays a significant role in boosting children's emotional and intellectual growth.

Parents could either tell a story or read children a book, she said.

"Many people, parents in particular, are not aware that storytelling and book-reading activities are important for children. I keep encouraging them to pay serious attention to their children's need for good books," said Murti who is passionate about children's books.

Early last month, Murti gained the country's first doctorate in children's literature at the University of Indonesia.

Good children's books have essential literary values and inherently appeal to young readers' emotions. Convincing characters, for example, stir children's feeling of love or sympathy, said Murti, who has collected more than 10,000 children's books from all over the world.

"I am concerned that many adults still consider children's books as "fun" objects rather than serious and important literary pieces," she said.

Children's literature is currently being taught at the library science department at the University of Indonesia. "But it is not an obligatory subject. Students may take this optional lecture for only one semester," she said.

Born to a book-loving family in Semarang, Central Java, in l946, Murti developed her interest in reading since childhood. In the early l960s, she became a member of a national swimming team and held six national records.

Murti was enrolled at the medical school at the Diponegoro University in Semarang and obtained a bachelor degree in l966. She continued her medical study at the Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java.

Instead of pursuing a career in the medical world, she married water polo athlete turned businessman Theodorus Bunanta in l966. Her children, Andreas Andhika Bunanta and Agatha Anne Bunanta, are now professional bankers.

"Now, I have time to concentrate on the development of children's books in the country. My husband and children have been very supportive," Murti said.

Murti, who has been seriously observing children's books for three decades, started studying children's literature in l982 when she majored in Dutch Literature at the Letter Faculty of the University of Indonesia.

She took a postgraduate program on American Studies at the same university and obtained her master's degree in l986. To obtain her doctorate degree, she studied and researched Indonesian children's folktales.

Murti's dissertation, presented on April 2, centered on the problem of retelling children's folk stories in Indonesia, a case study of Cinderella-like stories, "the kind and the unkind girls," Bawang Putih dan Bawang Merah (The Garlic and the Onion).

Folktales

Murti said the majority of local children's stories are still derived from folktales. As a result, one story appears in a number of different versions. There have been 22 versions of Bawang Putih and Bawang Merah, for instance, since it was first published in l904 by a Dutch writer.

"Not all versions are well-written. Many writers focus more on moral aspects but at the same time expose violence and vulgarity," Murti said.

She said writing children's stories is very difficult because the authors must have adequate knowledge of child psychology, anthropology and mass sociology.

"Children's stories will certainly have negative social and psychological impacts if they are poorly written," she said.

She urged local writers to be more innovative and productive in creating children's stories. "Retelling folk stories are fine because our children must learn local cultures, but writers should also look to other themes, particularly more contemporary ones, which are closer to the children's present and real world," she said.

Murti said she was concerned the local book market was being flooded by translated comics and books. "It is very hard to find local products at bookstores. In the early l970s, the production of children's books was thriving. But, it is fading now," she said.

The development of children's books does not only depend on writers, she said. Institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Association of Indonesian Librarians as well as publishers' associations play a greater role in shaping the present children's book industry.

"They should make more efforts to improve our children's books," she said.

To increase people's awareness of the importance of children's books, Murti and some friends established Kelompok Pencinta Bacaan Anak (The Society for the Advancement of Children's Literature) in l987. Its activities include reading and storytelling contests, writing and illustration competitions, exhibitions, seminars and workshops.

"We don't have enough money to hold regular programs. We need support from all related-agencies," Murti said.

Between l992 and l996, she was appointed a member of the executive committee of the Basel-based International Board of Books for Young People, which has 65 member countries.

"I have been trying hard to introduce Indonesian children's books in many international forums. But, I could only select a few high-quality local books. Indonesia should produce more children's books if we want to set a foothold on the world market," said Murti, the second Asian woman to sit on the committee.

In this modern era, Murti said, children are different in many ways from the previous generations. From their younger years, they are used to hearing the sounds of recordings, television and other products of advanced technology.

She said the rapid progress of audiovisual technology is needed by modern society. Children should also become familiar with hi-tech equipment.

"Problems surface if children spend too much time in front of their television sets. Moreover, only a small number of proper children's programs are being broadcast by local TV stations," she said.

Due to economic and social forces, parents are absent from home for hours to make ends meet and they have no time to share bedtime stories with their kids. Many of them let television and video programs baby-sit their children at home, Murti said.

"But, most young children still enjoy hearing stories and watching colorful pictures that can stimulate their imagination. Good literary works can provide children with this need. Parents's roles are also important in encouraging their reading interests," she said.

Reading aloud to children at this stage will probably do more to increase their interest in reading than anything else, she added.