<figure id="attachment_3136340" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3136340" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3136340" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cf82ac3a-twowomen.webp" alt="twowomen" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3136340" class="wp-caption-text">Kimberly Lee (right) and Liyana Taff, co-authors of ‘The Society of Online Superheroes (S.O.S): A Super Smart Guide to Internet Safety’. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: If you’re a member of Gen X &#8211; or even an early millennial – you probably have fond memories of playing outdoors after school. And not-so-fond memories of combing through piles of books in the library for research.
Today, the internet has changed everything. In 2017, Unicef reported that one in three internet users was a child, with over 175,000 children going online for the first time every day. Those numbers are likely higher today.
However, the internet can be a double-edged sword. While it makes life a lot easier, it has a dark side too: cyberbullying, screen addiction, inappropriate content, online grooming and more.
According to Unicef’s 2022 <a href="https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/media/3291/file/Disrupting%20Harm%20Malaysia%20Full%20Report%20(English).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Disrupting Harm in Malaysia”</a> report, it is estimated that 100,000 Malaysian children aged 12 to 17, who use the internet, have experienced online sexual exploitation and abuse, often through platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat and Telegram.
As parents, how can you help your children to stay safe in the digital age? The latest children’s picture book from local parenting portal <a href="https://www.makchic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">makchic</a> is a great place to start.
Titled “The Society of Online Superheroes (S.O.S): A Super Smart Guide to Internet Safety”, the book follows the adventures of cousins Rua and Inggit as they learn about online scams, cyberbullying, privacy and more.
<figure id="attachment_3136343" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3136343" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3136343" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/b343c4b0-bookcover.webp" alt="bookcover" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3136343" class="wp-caption-text">Through simple, clear language and attractive illustrations, the book delivers its key messages effectively to help parents raise digital superheroes. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)</figcaption></figure>
Released in partnership with <a href="https://www.cybersecurity.my/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CyberSecurity Malaysia</a>, the book also tells children to reach out to a trusted adult if somebody online tells them to try, see or do things they’re not comfortable with.
Suitable for children aged three to nine, the hardcover book presents these online dangers in a clear and simple way, complemented by catchy illustrations.
The book is co-authored by Kimberly Lee and Liyana Taff, and illustrated by Delia Razak, who are also the trio behind makchic’s earlier children’s picture books, “<a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/health/2022/06/14/makchics-first-kids-picture-book-addresses-body-safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What If</a>” and its Malay translation “Bayangkanlah”.
“What If” and “Bayangkanlah”, launched in 2021 and 2022 respectively, address the topic of body safety.
“When we wrote ‘What If’, we wanted to expand the universe because there’s so much to be said on the topic of safety for children. This was a very logical extension,” Lee, who is also makchic’s managing editor, told FMT Lifestyle.
“Online safety is an area that so many parents are concerned about &#8211; from cyberbullying to screen addiction,” added Lee, 39.
Lee and Liyana are mothers themselves. Lee has two sons aged eight and five, while Liyana has four children aged three, six, nine and 10.
Drawing from her experience, Liyana recalled: “Once, I caught my eldest child watching a video of adults dressed as Spiderman and Elsa. After a few minutes, the scene ended with both of them on a bed, under the sheets.
“It really scared me. How do I protect my child? There’s so much content out there, and I cannot monitor every single thing they watch,” added Liyana, 40, who is makchic’s CEO.
<figure id="attachment_3136344" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3136344" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3136344" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/7102b9b9-insidepages.webp" alt="insidepages" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3136344" class="wp-caption-text">The book is beautifully illustrated by Delia Razak. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)</figcaption></figure>
Indeed, it’s a concern shared by many parents, which is why this book is such a valuable tool, especially as it also comes with a discussion guide for parents, guardians and educators.
“The guide includes conversation prompts, simple activities and a glossary to help reinforce key lessons together with children,” said Liyana.
The duo also sought insights from experts including Wong Poai Hong, the executive director of<a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2023/12/12/childline-giving-the-misunderstood-and-abused-a-voice" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Childline Foundation</a>; Thulasi Munisamy, the advocacy lead for Protect and Save the Children and Amelia Alias, a lecturer at University Kebangsaan Malaysia.
They also received guidance and information from CyberSAFE® Malaysia, an initiative under CyberSecurity Malaysia that focuses on educating internet users on digital responsibility and risks.
When asked for their advice on raising screen-savvy kids, Lee shared: “You’re not supposed to leave your children to their own devices, literally and figuratively. You’re meant to journey with them.
“Parents play an important part in modelling healthy internet habits and enabling their children to start utilising critical thinking about the media they consume.”
She added: “The online safety rules outlined in this book are also intended to empower children to understand that they have the ability to protect themselves, their personal information and those around them when they’re online.”
‘The Society of Online Superheroes (S.O.S): A Super Smart Guide to Internet Safety’ is priced at RM49. To purchase, click <a href="https://www.makchic.com/sosbook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. (Scroll to ‘Buy Now’ and select to purchase from The Nurts or Biblio Paper Boy.)
Read articles from makchic <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/author/makchic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

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