Abyan (right) and Farah, the creative forces behind the Anak Rimba storybooks, have taken a bold leap into animation production with a mission to share Malaysia’s wildlife wonders with audiences worldwide. — Bernama
TWO Malaysian mothers transformed bedtime tales about tapirs and turtles into The Rimba Friends, a vibrant animated series that gives a voice to the nation’s endangered species.
Authors Abyan Junus-Nishizawa and Farah Landemaine, the creative forces behind the Anak Rimba storybooks series, have taken a bold leap into animation production.
Their mission is to share Malaysia’s wildlife wonders with audiences worldwide and bring the magic of the Malaysian jungle to life on screen.
What began as a small team of three rapidly grew into a 50-strong production group, involving animators, voice actors and sound designers.
The authors acknowledged the significant challenge of managing this scale compared to writing books, noting the necessity of managing scripts, production crews and extensive coordination over an 18-month period.
“It was a huge learning curve for us,” they told Bernama during a special screening of The Rimba Friends.
Encouraged by fans to expand into digital platforms, Abyan and Farah received crucial mentoring and support from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, which aided their transition from children’s book authors to animation producers.
The Anak Rimba books were initially created to nurture children’s appreciation for local wildlife.
Each story featured native animals like tapirs, hornbills and dusky leaf monkeys, accompanied by simple facts for bedtime reading.
Abyan described their approach as “happy activism” – teaching conservation in a positive way, without instilling fear.
Noting a significant gap in children’s programming focused on nature and sustainability, the creators developed content that was both educational and highly entertaining.
The result is a 13-episode series that premiered exclusively on Durioo+ on Sept 13.
The show brings characters like Timo the tapir, Ronda the Sumatran rhino and Teega the Malayan tiger to life.
Beyond animal facts, children are introduced to inspiring careers such as marine biologists and wildlife filmmakers.
Farah said while the books focused on one animal per story, the series successfully brought five main characters together on screen.
For the producers, the mission was ultimately about fostering pride in South-East Asia’s biodiversity and placing regional wildlife on the global stage.
“If the panda can be an icon, why not the tapir? We want our children to be proud of our animals and for the world to know them too,” they said.
As neither had production backgrounds, they relied heavily on mentors for technical expertise while remaining closely involved in every step, ensuring the animation preserved the spirit of the books for young viewers.
The project gained support from prominent conservation groups, including the Sea Turtle Research Unit, The Habitat Foundation and the Jane Goodall Institute.
To ensure sustained commitment, a portion of the Anak Rimba book sales is channelled to these non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support on-ground conservation work.
To increase accessibility, the series was produced in both 2D and 3D formats, allowing educators and NGOs to adapt the content for classroom use and conservation campaigns.
The duo said merchandises such as plush toys, would also help extend the awareness generated by the series.
