Starchild: Exploring Malaysian children's vivid imagination

Reese Wong Zi Xin, 9

In the magical fantasy world, children will be able to journey to places beyond their wildest imaginations.

Children might find themselves flying through the sky like superheroes, exploring enchanted forests alongside talking animals, or even journeying to distant planets where aliens await their arrival. In this fantasy land, anything is possible, and the only limit is the boundless expanse of their imagination.

Some fantasy spots are downright silly and nonsensical. Children might imagine of talking animals wearing top hats, or of flying to school on giant lollipops. These funny ideas often leave them giggling, wondering where their imagination will take them next.

No matter the content, imagination and dreams are an important part of every child's life. So the next time you close your eyes and drift off to sleep, remember to embrace the adventure that awaits you in the world of dreams.

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic Fantasy Land.

Chuan Seng Koon, 8"The strange place I was afraid of was the operating theatre in the hospital. It was the second after I was born. My bottom was beaten hard and I kept on crying loudly. I was also kicking the doctor when she carried me to my mum. Then I found myself being cuddled in my mother's warm body. She was hugging me non-stop. It was the first time I saw people around me making funny noises," says Chuah Seng Koon, eight.

Reynn Wong Ke Xin, 12Reese Wong Zi Xin, nine, writes: "As I prepared fell into sleep, I found myself amidst a dense jungle. I saw lots of trees and heard birds chirping. I felt scared, so I yelled and ran away fast. My heart was beating really quickly. I hope there aren’t any dangerous animals chasing me, and I wish someone could help me."

Older sibling Reynn Wong Ke Xin, 12, says: "When I woke up, I opened my eyes and saw that everything was huge. I found myself in a miniature world. I felt very tiny. There was no one else around except me. I heard music and singing, and I could smell delicious food. I walked around and touched a TV, books, table, and chair. I looked around for a way to escape. I hope that I can return to my normal life and find a way out."

ITEM: In the musical, The Sound of Music, Maria (played by Julie Andrews) sang about her favourite things. The lyrics of the first verse of the song goes like this:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favourite things.

What are your favourite things? Make a list of 10 things and tell us about your choices. Is your pillow one of your favourite things or your teddy bear a must-have to hug before you go to sleep? Or is it ice-cream melting in your mouth or your favourite computer game?

You have plenty to write about. Don’t forget to include a colourful drawing, too.

E-mail your contributions to [e-mail] by April 5. Please put "STARCHILD: Favourite Things" in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.