From UM to children’s literature: The creative journey of ‘Mama Pig’

Lydia Ieong Weng Hong, also known by many children and parents as ‘Mama Pig’, is an alumna of the Faculty of Education (FED) at the University of Macau (UM). She ultimately followed her passion and transformed herself from a Chinese language teacher to a celebrated author of children’s literature. Whether as a mother, teacher, or writer, Lydia dedicates herself to nurturing young minds with love and enriching childhoods with creative stories. By seeing the world through children’s eyes, she hopes to take readers on a journey that goes beyond traditional storytelling. Lydia’s creative journey is not only an exploration of Macao’s children’s literature, but also a profound quest to inspire children and unlock their inner strength.

Seeing the world through children’s eyes

At the invitation of FED, Lydia shared her journey with students and future teachers at a sharing session held at last year’s UM Open Day.

The story began 31 years ago. Fuelled by a youthful passion for nurturing future generations, Lydia enrolled at UM and majored in Chinese education. After graduating in 1998, she devoted herself to the education sector and worked as a Chinese language teacher at Pooi To Middle School and Pui Ching Middle School in Macao for 11 years. After becoming a mother, Lydia stepped away from her teaching role and took up an administrative position at Macao Polytechnic University, while pursuing her creative endeavours in children’s literature under the pen name ‘Mama Pig’ and contributing valuable insights to the education sector. Her works and commentaries are often featured in columns of Macao Daily News and a parenting magazine published by the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR.

Lydia currently works as an administrative officer in the editorial team of Journal of Macao Polytechnic University. She also holds leadership roles in several local associations—vice president of Pen of Macau, director general of the Macao Children’s Literature Association, and vice president of the Macau Family Education Association. Driven by a shared passion for children’s literature, Lydia and a group of like-minded parents jointly launched ‘Children’s Pen of Macao’, an online platform dedicated to promoting Macao’s children’s literature. At a conference on Asian family education held during the Boao Forum for Asia 2018, Lydia received an award for her story The Butterfly That Wasn’t Painted Gold, which explores diverse definitions of success in children. In 2024, the picture book won another prize at the inaugural Macau International Children’s Literature Award.

Today, a number of children’s books co-edited or authored by Lydia are displayed on the shelves of the House of Macao Literature, offering invaluable resources for enriching parent-child reading experiences. As a passionate writer, Lydia describes children’s literature as a bridge: ‘It not only serves as a joyful connection between parents and children, but also as a pathway that intertwines linguistic, cognitive, and emotional growth of children. Moreover, it allows me to understand how children see the world, so that I can enter their inner world and send them positive energy.’

‘Educators are the Star Angels’

Lydia is an advocate for child-centred education, an educational philosophy that she learned in FED. She believes that in order to understand children’s minds and unlock their potential, one must learn to listen and care for their needs.

The Butterfly That Wasn’t Painted Gold offers a mesmerising glimpse into a child’s perspective. It traces the journey of a little butterfly called Baibai, who is timid at first and later knows how to embrace self-acceptance. With wings that seem too small, and despite her best efforts, Baibai finds it difficult to fly up to the sky like other butterflies in the garden and have her wings painted gold by the sun. She often feels left behind in a world that only celebrates the extraordinary. Yet, with the gentle guidance of the Star Angel, Baibai comes to understand a profound truth: It is perfectly alright to be different. Every child has their own colours and their own ways of growing up.

This may seem like a simple story, but it is deeply meaningful. The story conveys Lydia’s educational philosophy—‘Educators are “Star Angels” who do not seek to change children’s essence, but to ensure that they embrace their true selves and to guide them in discovering their own brilliance.’ Lydia aspires to be a ‘Star Angel’ in others’ lives, and this aspiration is a result of her own experience.

Being discovered as a hidden gem

Lydia has touched the hearts of countless readers with her work. Surprisingly, she thinks of her past self as a weak student, as she had a poor memory and made many mistakes in her writing. She sometimes wonders if she had a reading disability.

Yet this introverted girl found her sanctuary in books. Although Lydia’s family was not wealthy when she was small, her mother would often take her to bookshops and buy her books. This practice opened a literary door for Lydia. By the time she entered primary school, Lydia was already immersed in the world of literature. By the time she reached secondary school, her writing talent caught the eye of her teacher, Wong Weng Chek. Encouraged by this ‘Star Angel’, Lydia participated in various writing competitions and won multiple awards. The hidden gem was finally brought into the spotlight.

The story behind the nickname ‘Mama Pig’

While teaching at Pui Ching Middle School, Lydia adopted an innovative approach that integrated writing into her classroom. She began documenting her students’ growth through a blog, a practice inspired by a UM course that trained future educators to write teaching journals. The aim of the course was not just to develop their future skills in recording classroom observations and tracking student progress, but also to encourage them to examine their own progress and their students’ growth through systematic reflection.

Lydia believes that every aspect of student experience—from learning performance and emotional shifts to peer interactions—can serve as a valuable material for reflection. Teaching journals are more than mere documentation; they are essential tools for educators to understand student needs and develop tailored teaching strategies.

As time went by, Lydia’s blog attracted a group of student readers, and her words became a source of encouragement for them to work harder in their studies. ‘The occasional mistakes on my blog actually brought me closer to my students,’ says Lydia with a smile. Her little mistakes even earned her the endearing nickname ‘Piggy’, which later led to her pen name ‘Mama Pig’. This pen name also reflects her desire to let go of the authoritative image of a teacher and to become a companion to children as they grow up.

Promoting children’s literature in Macao

Despite her youthful appearance, Lydia is actually a mother of two sons who already attend university. Her journey into children’s literature is closely linked to her experiences as a mother.

Lydia and her sons used to read bedtime stories together. Interestingly, on a ferry ride to Hong Kong, she discovered another skill besides storytelling. Her son could not stop crying as the ferry was rocking in the waves. With no toys or books to distract him, Lydia suddenly spotted the ‘Angry Birds’ logo on her son’s backpack and made up a story about ‘Angry Birds’ racing in the Macau Grand Prix. Her son was captivated by the story and gradually calmed down, and his nausea began to subside. This experience convinced her of her potential to create stories.

Lydia later discovered that there was a lack of children’s literature about Macao. Determined to fill this gap, she teamed up with a group of like-minded parents to create children’s stories that reflect Macao’s unique culture and charm.

Lydia even invited her two sons to join her in the creation of her first storybook, Kai Kai Xin Xin Is The Most Important, as her sons were particularly fond of giant pandas. To seek inspiration, Lydia and her sons took a guided tour organised by the Municipal Affairs Bureau, where they learned that the staff prepare birthday cakes made of bamboo leaves and flour to celebrate the birthdays of the pandas, Kai Kai and Xin Xin. This fascinating detail, along with some imaginative explanations of the panda names, was incorporated into the story. Lydia later created a series of stories about the two pandas’ journey to Macao, such as their departure from their homeland and separation from their family. When Xin Xin passed away, Lydia created the story ‘True Heart Always Hereby’ as the last chapter of the series. The story teaches children how to cope with grief and loss.

Encouraging future educators to become ‘Star Angels’

During the sharing session at the UM Open Day, Lydia discussed her personal journey and her philosophy of ‘doing our best and leaving the rest’. She told her juniors in FED that in addition to committing wholly to pursuing goals, they should also embrace life’s unpredictable nature and accept the results with an open heart. In particular, she reminded them not to doubt themselves just because of a single disappointment or failure. Furthermore, Lydia encouraged audience members to become ‘Star Angels’ who can guide children to find their own path. She believes that with the support of ‘Star Angels’, more children can spread their wings with confidence, find their direction and take flight, as well as discover their potential and embrace their true colours.

Source: My UM Issue 142