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Stories from the Islands of Thailand

HAMMIE AND THE LOST PRINCESS OF KOH ANG THONG

Based on real events with a dash of fantasy — ideal for the young and the young at heart.

Archipelagos, Talking Animals, and Adventure

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Chakrit travels from Bangkok to a tropical island in southern Thailand for his birthday, his dancing gecko friend Lizzy has to stay behind to work. On the island, he makes friends with Goggles the monkey who calls him Hammie, as well as Lekkie the leech, Sally the snake and Billy the hornbill.

When Goggles tells him about the missing gecko princess, Hammie learns that their archipelago is about to be taken over by the lizards. She asks him to help find the missing princess, but only if he passes three tests so he can meet the gecko King and Queen.

Under attack from vicious mosquitoes, Hammie is in danger of failing the tests without the help of his animal friends. When he discovers that the missing princess and Lizzy both love mozzie burgers and dancing, he wonders if there’s a connection between them.

Then he finds a mystery mozzie burger, and Hammie is even more puzzled. But as his friends help him with the tests and he gets closer to meeting the gecko rulers, nothing prepares him for the secret that will be revealed.

The story has several messages for our young, and not-so-young, readers:
1) Explore the world and its beauty,
2) Keep our environment clean, respect nature and wildlife,
3) Use individual differences and strengths to achieve great things,
4) Work together as a team, and
5) Be brave and strong.

The Story in Five Scenes

How the Story of Hammie's Adventures Unfolds.

SCENE 1

Hammie Arrives on the Islands

Twelve-year-old blond boy Chakrit from Bangkok travels to a tropical island for a camping holiday to celebrate his birthday, but without his best friend Lizzy, a dancing gecko.

While he is setting up his campsite and hanging up the hammock on the island, he makes some new friends—Goggles the monkey, Lekkie the leech, Sally the snake and Billy the hornbill. After a long day of travel, Chakrit falls asleep in his hammock.

The next day, when Goggles sees Chakrit sleeping in his hammock, she asks if she can call him “Hammie”. He agrees, so no one on the island knows his real name is Chakrit.

A short reading — Scene 1

SCENE 2

The Missing Gecko Princess

Goggles tells Hammie that the evil lizards and their leader, Gingga, plan to take over the islands when the gecko King and Queen die. The only way to stop them is to find the missing Princess Gekkie, their future queen.

To help the gecko King and Queen locate the princess, Hammie must pass three tests. First, he must find Secret Beach and swim there. Second, he must find Mister Time at the island’s highest point. Third, he must find the Lotus Flower rocks in the clifftop caves. Hammie wants to help Goggles and his friends to save the island, so he agrees to attempt the three tests.

A short reading — Scene 2

SCENE 3

The Three Tests

As they go to Secret Beach for the first test, Hammie and his friends are attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes led by Sting and sent by Gingga. Lekkie frightens them away, but they attack again on the second test.

Hammie is about to have his birthday feast at the viewpoint when a mozzie burger mysteriously appears. His friends tell him that Princess Gekkie used to make them, and he wonders if she shared the recipe with Lizzy in Bangkok. At the caves on the third test, the mosquitoes return. As they attack, Hammie falls. Just before he passes out, a voice calls out “Chakrit”, his real name.

A short reading — Scene 3

SCENE 4

The Surprise

Hammie awakes on a boat heading to a different island in the archipelago where the gecko King and Queen live at Emerald Lagoon. Billy and his friends help Hammie up the steep cliffs to where the King and Queen are waiting. They ask for his help to find their missing daughter, Princess Gekkie and tell him how she loves dancing and mozzie burgers—just like his friend Lizzy!

Hammie decides to go back home and ask Lizzy to help him find Princess Gekkie. But before he can tell the geckos about his plan, he hears crying coming from his backpack. The flap opens and a gecko pops out.

A short reading — Scene 4

SCENE 5

Saving the Islands

When the mystery of the sad, crying gecko in the backpack has been solved, Billy delivers a message to the King from Gingga. The lizards want the King to know that they are still planning to take over! The King sends a message back to the lizards telling them that as long as he and the Queen are alive, they will continue to rule, with the help of the other animals.

The animals are now wondering what will happen when the King and Queen die. We are wondering too, but we will have to wait and see if there is a follow-up book to tell us what happens next for Hammie, Lizzy and the gang!

A short reading — Scene 5

The Characters

Meet incredibly real (and not so real) characters.

Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Princess Gekkie

Gekkie is the only child of the gecko King and Queen and loves dancing. But when she was told that “royal geckos don’t dance”, she secretly left the islands. Now she is thought to be in Bangkok, so her parents are looking for someone from the city to help find her. When the princess was here, she caught mosquitoes and turned them into delicious “mozzie burgers” for her friends. Now there are a lot more mosquitoes around! Gekkie could help save the islands from the lizards, if only she can be found.

Lessons from the Story

Subtle messages for everyone from Hammie's adventures.

Explore the world and its beauty:
In the book, the three tests show Hammie the island’s beauty and its unique features. Learning to appreciate and value the world’s natural attractions can start at any age, the younger the better.
.
Keep our environment clean, respect nature and wildlife:
Never throw trash anywhere, and always pick it up when you see it. Trash belongs in a trashcan! Protecting nature, not just on the islands but on the entire planet, will also protect the natural habitats of the animals, help maintain the ecosystem and preserve the Earth for the future. Removing animals from their homes to sell them as pets or to zoos is cruel and unnecessary, and will destroy the ecological balance.
.
Use individual differences and strengths to achieve great things:
On the island, each animal has skills (or superpowers!) that the others don’t, so everyone is equally important in helping Hammie pass the tests. Even the tiniest and most insignificant animals play their part. No matter how small or unimportant we seem to others, or feel to ourselves, every one of us has an important role to play in making the world a better place.
.
Work together as a team:
Hammie and the animals team up, work together, and support each other to save the islands. A strong society with members who encourage each other can achieve much more than individuals working separately.
.
Be brave and strong:
Hammie learns the importance of being brave and strong to pass the tests and help save the islands. The animals also know how important it is, so they encourage Hammie when he is afraid. It will not always be easy to follow the right path, to pass the tests of life, or to do the right thing. Facing our fears and challenges will help us to be brave enough and strong enough to achieve our goals.

The Story Behind the Story

How this book came to be.

This story really started in Bangkok, Thailand, where our co-author, Peter, whose Thai name is “Chakrit”, lives with his “friend” Lizzy the gecko. Chakrit’s friends know Lizzy well, and over the years, Chakrit has joked that she works at a bar in the Nana district of Bangkok. Nowadays his friends often ask how Lizzy is doing, and if she has made enough money to buy herself some fancy new red dancing shoes!

Back in February 2022, Chakrit decided to go camping on the island called Koh Wua Ta Lap in the Ang Thong Archipelago of southern Thailand to celebrate his special birthday. Like Hammie in the story, Chakrit packed everything he needed to go camping into his backpack, including his hammock which he considers to be a camping essential.

When he arrived on the island, Chakrit had some close encounters with the animals who became his friends in the story—a friendly monkey (who he named Goggles), a leech (who he named Lekkie), a snake (who he showered with in the bathroom and called Sally), and some hornbills (one of whom became Billy).

Chakrit liked to nap in his hammock, and so Goggles suggested his name is “Hammie Boy”. He disapproved and so they settled on the name “Hammie”.

He also saw some lizards, and took photos of a large, scary-looking lizard (Gingga in the story). A swarm of mosquitoes attacked him several times, so he decided one of them was their leader, and called him Sting. Although lizards are not evil in real life, the scary lizard became the villain in the story. As we all know, mosquitoes really are evil, so it was easy to make them part of Gingga’s army.

When Chakrit saw some geckos on the island, he immediately thought of Lizzy back home in Bangkok. He started to fantasise about what would happen if she was related to the geckos on the archipelago and had a secret life. And so the story began…

Of course Chakrit is older than 12-year-old Hammie, and of course Lizzy and the other animals do not really talk with humans, but the island adventures that became the three tests in the story actually happened. Chakrit really did get chased by mosquitoes wherever he hiked around the island, especially on the track to the secret beach. He really did have a birthday lunch at the viewpoint on top of the island. And he really did find the Lotus Flower rocks in the caves, which was the most difficult challenge of all.

Although he was lucky enough to visit the beautiful Emerald Lagoon on a nearby island called Koh Mae Koh, he did not meet the gecko King and Queen that day. They must have been visiting another island.

Chakrit has always wanted to write a children’s book featuring his best friend Lizzy, the dancing gecko, and now his dream has come true! But as soon as other animals heard about the book through Lizzy’s FaceBook page, they have been asking her to tell Chakrit they want to be in the next story.

This story really started in Bangkok, Thailand, where our co-author, Peter, whose Thai name is “Chakrit”, lives with his “friend” Lizzy the gecko. Chakrit’s friends know Lizzy well, and over the years, Chakrit has joked that she works at a bar in the Nana district of Bangkok. Nowadays his friends often ask how Lizzy is doing, and if she has made enough money to buy herself some fancy new red dancing shoes!

Back in February 2022, Chakrit decided to go camping on the island called Koh Wua Ta Lap in the Ang Thong Archipelago of southern Thailand to celebrate his special birthday. Like Hammie in the story, Chakrit packed everything he needed to go camping into his backpack, including his hammock which he considers to be a camping essential.

When he arrived on the island, Chakrit had some close encounters with the animals who became his friends in the story—a friendly monkey (who he named Goggles), a leech (who he named Lekkie), a snake (who he showered with in the bathroom and called Sally), and some hornbills (one of whom became Billy).

Chakrit liked to nap in his hammock, and so Goggles suggested his name is “Hammie Boy”. He disapproved and so they settled on the name “Hammie”.

He also saw some lizards, and took photos of a large, scary-looking lizard (Gingga in the story). A swarm of mosquitoes attacked him several times, so he decided one of them was their leader, and called him Sting.

Although lizards are not evil in real life, the scary lizard became the villain in the story. As we all know, mosquitoes really are evil, so it was easy to make them part of Gingga’s army.

When Chakrit saw some geckos on the island, he immediately thought of Lizzy back home in Bangkok. He started to fantasise about what would happen if she was related to the geckos on the archipelago and had a secret life. And so the story began…

Of course Chakrit is older than 12-year-old Hammie, and of course Lizzy and the other animals do not really talk with humans, but the island adventures that became the three tests in the story actually happened. Chakrit really did get chased by mosquitoes wherever he hiked around the island, especially on the track to the secret beach. He really did have a birthday lunch at the viewpoint on top of the island. And he really did find the Lotus Flower rocks in the caves, which was the most difficult challenge of all. Although he was lucky enough to visit the beautiful Emerald Lagoon on a nearby island called Koh Mae Koh, he did not meet the gecko King and Queen that day. They must have been visiting another island.

Chakrit has always wanted to write a children’s book featuring his best friend Lizzy, the dancing gecko, and now his dream has come true! But as soon as other animals heard about the book through Lizzy’s FaceBook page, they have been asking her to tell Chakrit they want to be in the next story.

Photos from the Story

This story is based on (mostly) real events, characters and places.

Boy - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Monkey - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Koh Ang Thong Archipelago Thailand - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Camping - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Clock - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Beach - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Caves - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Gecko - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Grandfather Hermit or Anchorite in English at entrance to Bua Bok Cave, Kha Bay, Ko Wua Ta Lap Island, Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, Thailand

Leech - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Snake - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

lizard - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Thai Food - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

Hornbill - Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong

The Creators of the Book

They made it all happen.

Co-author

Peter Steyn (Chakrit / Hammie)

Peter has travelled the world and photographed some of its most scenic places which encouraged him to launch his now widely read blog and travel magazine, GlobeRovers.

Born in South Africa, Peter has lived in Canada, and for a short time in Sweden, but is now based in Hong Kong and Thailand.

Peter lives with his best "friend” Lizzy the gecko, who sometimes travels with him, and has her own regular column in GlobeRovers travel magazine. Although Lizzy mainly speaks gecko language, she knows how to say “hello” in many different languages as can be seen on the postcards she puts in her GlobeRovers column.

Peter is a true animal lover and has become fluent in gecko language so he and Lizzy can talk about their fellow travellers without anyone knowing what they are talking about. Since visiting the islands he has learned a little bit of mosquito language from his new friend Lekkie the leech, so he always knows when they are about to attack.

Peter has wanted to write a children’s book featuring Lizzy since forever—yes, he really is that old—and now his dream has come true. But Hammie has had a few more adventures since then, and Lizzy is now encouraging him to write some of them down in the next book.

Everyone except Peter knows why Lizzy really wants him to write it. She needs money to buy a new pair of red dancing shoes!

Co-author

Marion Halliday

Marion is a crazy Aussie author, blogger, traveller, photographer—and dunny detective who enjoys tracking down the world’s most scenic loos! She writes about her adventures on her blog, where she is also known as Red Nomad OZ, and sometimes in GlobeRovers travel magazine.

Born in New Zealand, she lived in Fiji and Papua New Guinea before settling in Australia, where she has travelled all over the country in her quest to bring Australia’s coolest conveniences to the world. Yes, you read that right! Check out her other book “Aussie Loos with Views!”

Marion can speak a little bit of koala and kangaroo language, which comes in handy when they visit her at home, and is the only person she knows who has been bitten by a wombat. She has never met Lizzy, but they text each other frequently, especially when Lizzy wants to complain about Peter!

Marion was inspired to write a draft of the first page of the book when Peter was on the island, and sent her some photos of the animals he’d seen and stories of the adventures he was having.

Together they worked on the story with Lizzy’s help, because she wanted her character to be the most important. Now Lizzy is pushing for another book, and hopes that Marion and Peter give her a starring role again.

illustrator

Tsui Chi Ho

Chi Ho is a world traveller and photographer who aims to one day qualify for membership in “The Travellers’ Century Club” for people who have visited 100 or more countries.

Although Chi Ho is not finding it easy to learn mosquito language from Lizzy, he can already speak and write in Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese, and is also learning Russian and Spanish. Next he plans to learn Swahili, so speaking mosquito language might come after that. It could be that Lizzy is not a very good teacher!

Chi Ho has always been able to draw funny faces, but he has never illustrated a book before. The animals are so happy that he agreed to try, because as you can see, he did a superb job of drawing the characters in the book, and some of the other scenes as well.

It is lucky for him that Lizzy likes his drawing that shows her wearing her new red dancing shoes—see it for yourself on the back cover. She thinks that is the best drawing in the whole book!

inspiration behind the story

Elizabeth Geckovsky (Lizzy)

Lizzy is so much more than just a gecko. She helped to inspire this book, and without her the story never would have been written. Tragically, she knows this and will never let her housemate Peter, her language student Chi Ho, or her faraway friend Marion forget it.

She has told her many animal friends that the book is all about her, so now she is a big star, and all her FaceBook friends are waiting to see what she does next.

Lizzy spends most of the day sleeping because at night she dances at Nana Bar in Bangkok where she is a hot favourite. Her fans are always disappointed when she has a night off. Sometimes she also has to take a sickie to stay home and sort out whatever it is that Peter has done wrong.

She lives in hope that people will buy this book, and that there will be a second book about her adventures with Hammie, because her shoe fund is running low.

What's behind the cover?

Check out the first few pages

...then order your own printed copy or ebook.

BOOK REVIEWS

What our Book Reviewers think

Please also post your review on Amazon.com (via the ORDER NOW button) or send your review to Lizzy at: lizzy_nana_bar_dancer@yahoo.co.nz.

Anthony S, Canada

What an exciting story! I read it to my two boys (6 and 9) and they were both mesmerized. It kept their attention all the way to the end and they loved the illustrations. The 9-year-old was so curious about the location and the real animals so it was great that the book includes a map of the islands and real photos of the characters. I think the messages about protecting our environments, the importance of supporting each other and being brave, were all well received by the kids – especially the 9-year-old. Great story and a great book. Should be in libraries and at schools! Well done!

Therese O, Australia

Your book has turned out really nicely. The sections on vocab, characters, geography, photos of particular wildlife and special places are great ways to interact with the ideas needed to comprehend the story. The explicit messages page at the end gives readers lots to talk about for personal and social development, appreciating the world and protecting nature. The quirky elements and humour are appealing. Good on you!

Zandy, New Zealand

A heartwarming tale of adventure and bravery, with important life lessons woven into the narrative. I also thoroughly enjoyed the creative illustrations. Five stars!

Gawain L, Australia

This is a story that all young children who can read, probably up to the age of 10 or 11 will surely enjoy. As we get to know the various characters we start to get an idea of just what’s going on and part of the delight in the story is finding that we were right about our guesses. The story’s messages are nicely done and not rammed down the young readers throats. The photographs and illustrations are not only well done, but complement the story perfectly. There’s so much more for the reader to engage with in the story. Highly recommended.

Craig T, Thailand

A very good story that’s based on real events. Complete with educational lessons! Loved the read and the very good illustrations. Fantastic! Thanks Hammie!

Kathy M, Australia

I really enjoyed this book from an adult point of view. It had everything that a good book should. Great characters, a hook at the beginning, adventure and intrigue, plus a happy ending. The book also gave out some valuable messages about protecting the environment, helping your friends, and exploring the natural beauty around us.

The characters were interesting, including Goggles the monkey, Sally the friendly snake, Lekkie the blood-sucking leech, Billy the hornbill and the gecko royal family. I certainly would like to have friends like these on my side if I were in trouble. Even the evil lizards and mozzies were interesting in this rollicking tale. When my grandchildren get a little older I think this book would be a great one for them to read.

tmwhickman, USA

Hammie and the Lost Princess of Koh Ang Thong is wonderful. One of the best ways for kids to learn is to make connections between what they read and their world. This chapter book goes the extra mile with the repetition of concepts, descriptive text, and beautiful art.

The reader not only practices reading skills, they also learn about cultures, countries, and animals, too! All in one place. I highly recommend this book not only for 3rd-5th grade readers, but also for classroom teachers who want to enrich their instruction.

Lisa L, Australia

I enjoyed the book, particularly because its location and characters were new to me. I really appreciated the details and information supplied at the beginning of the book. Without this information I would not have been able to so easily imagine the characters and the islands.

The plot was complex enough to keep me reading and I enjoyed the twists and turns. The illustrations were just right and tied in beautifully with the location and theme.

The only thing I would change is Mr Time; rather than a clock I would have preferred something more natural, such as a sundial. But this is a minor comment.

I am assuming that your target audience is around 8yrs-10yrs which means that you have a good chance at influencing their future behaviour.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Leslie P, United Kingdom

My grandkids almost enjoyed the story as much as I did! A beautiful book that I think will inspire readers of all ages. Loved the interwoven lessons that are also listed at the end of the book. The book is so unique from other kids’ books. Love the maps, character profiles, lessons to be learnt, and introducing new words to the kids. Can’t wait to visit these islands.

Gerri D, Australia

This fantastical story is about a young boy who meets and becomes friends with the many diverse creatures on an island adventure in Thailand. Whilst “Hammie” attempts to overcome the odds to find a lost princess, the authors take the story further by using the book to promote friendship, diversity and caring for the planet. Altogether a good read to teach children about caring for others and the environment.

May you be blessed for reading all the way to the end! Now press that ORDER NOW button and within a few days you will have your own printed copy, or download it straight to your Kindle.

Please feel free to leave us your review on Amazon or send it to Lizzy: lizzy_nana_bar_dancer@yahoo.co.nz. She will make sure it gets posted here on our website.