Mooty The Mouse creator Jessie Wee, pioneer of S’pore children’s literature, dies at 88

Jessie Wee, Singaporean pioneer of children’s literature and creator of Mooty The Mouse, has died at 88 after a long illness. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – Singaporean pioneer of children’s literature Jessie Wee, best known as the creator of the beloved series The Adventures Of Mooty (1980), has died at 88.

Her architect son Derek Wee, 62, told The Straits Times that she died after an unspecified long illness on March 10. He said the family was proud of his mother – who wrote Mooty for her two sons out of a conviction that children should read local stories – for her accomplishments as a “self-taught, entrepreneurial spirit in the world of creative writing”.

Mr Wee, who also illustrated for his mother’s two final autobiographical books – Grandpa’s Remedy (2019) and Secret Of The Malacca Cabinet (2019) – recalls fondly: “When mother and son work together, it’s a mixed atmosphere of excitement and creative tension. We debated a lot about how the characters would be presented, but it was a fun process and very personal.

“These are stories I didn’t experience – they were mum’s childhood memories – but I grew up hearing about them all through my life.”

Landmark Books publisher Goh Eck Kheng, who published several of Wee’s books, said: “For most Singaporeans, she will be known as the author of Mooty. For me, she’ll be forever Mooty’s mummy.

“Jessie was a gentle and caring person with a playful, cheeky touch. Her stories show those characteristics.”