Mango and Bambang: the not-a-pig
Summary:
This is the story of a young girl and an Asian tapir, who does not want to be mistaken for a pig! The girl finds the tapir wandering alone and lost in the city and the two become the best of friends and have many adventures together.
Edited by: Dublin City University

Comment:
The female protagonist is an admirable heroine: she is kind, clever, capable, and loves adventure. She is a compassionate and loyal friend, and many of the adventures ensue because of her dedication to the tapir. This series of books provides a good counterpoint to similar texts such as the Paddington Bear books. The striking colours used in the series do not appear to aim to limit the readership by gender.