Angeline Khoo

Matthew and the Horrid Haze Angeline Khoo

Matthew, like other young children, loves to play outdoors. But when the region's annual haze-pollutive smog at its worst-comes around, Matthew is forced to stay indoors. Ever curious, he asks, "Why can't I see the sky?" In this delightful children's story, Wind blames the burning Trees in the forests. Trees, in turn, blame the tinderbox-like Peat soil, which in turn points the finger at Man, who says he needs fertile soil to grow his crops. Finally, Matthew asks, "How can we get back clearer days?" The included suggested questions enable adults to use the storyline to help children find out more and to appreciate the urgency of sustaining this precious Earth. One reviewer says (Ms Felicia Choon, a primary school teacher), "I wished that the children who read this book can be empowered with the knowledge that they make a difference in their own small ways. If I were to read this book in class, it would definitely pathed its way into a lengthy discussion on what we can do here to help with the situation there." This is the third book in the Matthew series. The other two, also published by Partridge, are "Matthew and the Thirsty Sun" and "Matthew's Stacking Cups."