Big Brother Mouse: A Book for Every Child in Laos

April 2009

Photo from Big Brother Mouse website

Imagine a place where there are no books, where most people have never seen a book, except perhaps a dry and dog-eared textbook shared by a classroom of students in the village school.  Imagine children learning to 'read' by looking at letters and words written on a chalkboard – if they have the luxury of attending school at all.  Imagine having to teach a child how to 'work' a book – how to turn the pages, one by one, to reveal the rest of the story, the next picture.  

 The place is rural Laos, where most of the seven million Laotians live.  Villages are often remote, accessible by long and grueling bus-rides over rough dirt tracks, and then only during the dry season.  Some are accessible only by slow river-boat, loaded to the gunwales with people and cargo.  Many are accessible only on foot.  Life in these villages is virtually unchanged from what it was 50 or even 100 years ago.  And it is a life without books.

 

Now imagine an organization dedicated to bringing books to the people of Laos, and in particular to the children in these small, remote villages.  An organization that employs enthusiastic young Laotians as writers and artists, and publishes colourful books that make it fun and easy for Lao people to learn to read.  The organization is Big Brother Mouse.  It was founded by Sasha Alyson – an American originally from Boston, and it is now owned by Khamla Panyasouk, a Laotian who works with Sasha to keep the presses running.  

 

Big Brother Mouse started off in March 2006 with the publication of five books.  When we visited their outlets in Vientiane and Luang Prabang in November of 2008, Big Brother Mouse had published almost 60 books.  The books are mostly in Lao, although some are in Lao and Hmong, and some are in Lao and English.  Some are translations of old favourites like Aesop's Fables, Dr. Dolittle and the Wizard of Oz.  

 

Big Brother Mouse has also published books on the kinds of subjects children love – dinosaurs, animals of Laos, Africa and Australia, and the Wonders of the World.  But most of the books are distinctly Lao: The Proverbs of Laos, New Improved Buffalo!, The Monk and the Trees, and A Very Good Day.  Big Brother Mouse has also started to publish some pocket-sized books that it hopes will be cheap enough, at around 50 cents each, that villagers will be able to buy them.

 

In addition to its books for kids, Big Brother Mouse has published books in Lao for more experienced readers, such as Sherlock Holmes and The Diary of Anne Frank.  And it has published some books on important subjects such as tooth decay, and how to look after a baby.  It is currently working on a book about women's health, including health in pregnancy.  

 

The primary objective of Big Brother Mouse is to publish books.  But its secondary objective is just as important: to experiment with different ideas for getting books out to rural and remote communities.  They have had considerable success with 'book parties.'  These are usually held in local schools.  Big Brother Mouse staffers take enough books with them to the village to ensure that every child will be able to leave with a book of his or her choice.  The teacher is given a 'swap box' so that the kids can trade books with one another, giving them all a chance to read more.  When Big Brother Mouse staffers have gone back to these schools they have found that the boxes, and the books, are still in use. 

 

Another method Big Brother Mouse is using to distribute books is through a system of 'junior librarians.'  Junior librarians may be young or old – what matters is that they love books and that they are willing to take responsibility for them.  Their house becomes a library, where community members can go to borrow a book.  The junior librarians are given 20 – 30 books to start off.  

 

From time to time Big Brother Mouse sponsors get-togethers for these junior librarians so that they can talk about how they are doing and any problems they may have.  For many of them, attending these get-togethers may be the first time they have been out of their communities.  It represents both a way of rewarding and encouraging their participation in the project, and a tremendous opportunity for learning and community development.

 

When we visited Big Brother Mouse we met Siphone, a young writer.  He remembers when he saw his first book, as a child in his village, and the impact that it had on him.  He knows, first-hand, how a book can change a child's life.  He refers to Sasha and Khamla as his 'big brothers' – men who have helped him along his path – and his love for and admiration of them is clearly evident.

 

Big Brother Mouse is funded almost entirely by donation.  It receives no money from the Laotian government.  It does sell a few books to Laotians, and some tourists buy books to give to schools or to children they meet on their travels.  If you would like to find out more about Big Brother Mouse, or if you would like to make a donation to this most worthwhile project, visit its website at: www.BigBrotherMouse.com   

 

Better yet, make your next trip a trip to Laos and visit Big Brother Mouse in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.  Laos is a wonderful country to visit – an interesting culture, historic cities, unspoiled natural landscapes, friendly people and fabulous food.  Buy some books and take them to a village, give them to children you meet.  

 

Whether you go to Laos in person, or just visit the Big Brother Mouse website, you can give Laotian children the chance of a better future; you can give them books.

 

 

How Big Brother Mouse Got its Name

 

In the early days, when Sasha was working with Khamla, Siphone, and Khout to develop the first books, the project didn't have a name.  Sasha needed a business card, so he made one with  his name and contact information, and the words "Books that make literacy fun!"  He found a cute clip-art drawing of a mouse that fit nicely at the bottom of the card. 

 

Khamla, Siphone, and Khout often call Sasha 'ai,' which means 'big brother' in Lao.  They look up to him as a mentor, and are grateful for his encouragement and support.

 

When the first books were ready for press, the organization needed a publisher name.  They wanted to use the word 'ai,' to give the idea of helping children, and the mouse, to give the idea of fun.  So they decided on the name 'Ai Nu Noi,'  which literally translated means 'Little mouse that is a big brother.'  But that was too long, so they shortened it to 'Big Brother Mouse.'

 

Is Big Brother Mouse a business, or a non-profit organization?

 

According to information posted on the Big Brother Mouse website, it's something in between.  Laos doesn't have the same business and organizational structures as many western countries.  Under Lao law, Big Brother Mouse is a tax-exempt, Lao-owned educational business, licensed in 2006.  But it will be many years before anyone can run a successful business in Laos by selling books.  The market simply doesn't exist.

 

In a region that has lived under colonial rule for so long, the importance of a Lao business – run with help from many people in many countries, but ultimately Lao-owned and Lao-controlled – cannot be overestimated.  The impact on the young people learning to run a business – and on children in villages where who see role models for what they can one day do – is immeasurable.

 

Contact Information for Big Brother Mouse:


Website:               www.BigBrotherMouse.com  

Mailing address:  Big Brother Mouse, P. O. Box 814,  Luang Prabang,  Lao PDR