Interview by Rui Pastorin
In 2019, a group from the Red Pills Clown Care programme started visiting hospitalised children with the hopes of bringing laughter and joy, as well as easing feelings of distress and discomfort during treatment.
The regular visits, mainly taking place at Kiang Wu Hospital, are continuing – but during the COVID-19 pandemic things had changed. Suddenly, reaching the sick children became difficult, but with some effort, it was possible using Zoom.
With situations like that, the programme’s founder Bobo Leong Ka Wai thought there had to be another way to continue conveying that same care, warmth and happiness that they want to bring. And then it hit her: “What if we do a book?”
That is exactly what they did. With a story penned by author Nicole Wong Weng Chi and artwork by Yolanda Kog, which was shortlisted for the Longlist of the Children’s Publishing Category in the Professional Track of the 2025 BIBF International Illustration Awards in Beijing, a picture book titled “When We’re Sick” was recently published by Own Theatre (自家劇場)**, which the group is part of.
The Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) is one of the most influential book fairs in Asia.
Through the book, they hope to inspire hospitalised children to be brave and show them that they are not alone, as well as prepare them for situations they might encounter. The Post recently interviewed Leong, Kog and the book’s editor Sara Lo Tak Wai to learn more about it.
Currently available in Chinese only, the book tells a story inspired by an accumulation of the group’s visits and the children they interacted with over the years, according to Leong and Lo, while it also features interactive sections.
The book presents real situations that the children face, Leong added, with the book providing a way to prepare the kids and even their parents and other members of the public. “We go to the hospital and face different kids with their own difficulties and challenges”, Lo noted.
Beyond that, Leong and Lo also emphasised that while children can make a physical recovery with the help of hospitals and their doctors, they also need to heal emotionally, something that a friendly hospital environment can certainly help with and that they also hope to show.
Through the book, the group hopes to give children courage and perhaps even open discussions about something that is not easy to talk about, with the main message – how can we cope with hardships and challenges that might lie ahead, as well as how can we accompany the children who are in need?
Regarding the book’s illustrations, Kog said that through visits with the group and asking hospital staff, as well as having a deep understanding of Wong’s text, she interpreted what kids might encounter using their perspectives, ranging from the machines they will see, the medicines they might take and the food they have to eat.
Colour plays a prominent role in this book, an idea by Wong, who Kog worked in tandem with to put it all together. Wong “links the pain of sick children with different colours, which inherently provides a strong visual imagination space of colours”, said Kog. In particular, the warmth and vibrancy of orange to the cold and lonely blue are two of the base colours of the book, representing two different kids, worlds and situations.
“These two colours carry strong emotional tones in the book”, Kog elaborated, adding that a girl with red spots “enters the cold world of sick children with warmth and love, dispelling their fears and darkness, and bringing laughter and love”.
Kog added that two important symbols are also found throughout the book, one of which is a whale-shaped pillow that represents freedom. The other is a “red nose” that symbolises love, Kog said, adding that it shows: “You are not alone. There is someone who is always next to you”.
With this in mind, Lo added that everyone can be a figurative “red nosed clown” to be at the ill children’s bedside to give them support and courage to face their challenges.
Support from the community
Meanwhile, Leong highlighted that they are grateful as they have received “quite a lot of support” from different local sectors such as private companies and clinics to help get their book to the children, noting that it made them feel like they were not alone. “They loved our idea and we got quite good results”, she said. Through their help, they were able to get 200 books donated to children, she said.
Looking ahead
While the book is currently only available in Chinese, it delivers a message beyond words. But down the line, the three interviewees said that they hope to publish versions in Portuguese and English as well, along with more editions. Lo emphasised that engaging with more and more people is very important, with everything geared towards doing good things for the patients.
“If this can attract more people to get involved and if we have enough resources to continue our project, I think this will be very meaningful. It is good for the whole society, and good for our community.
The book is on sale in selected bookshops in Macau.
*The group’s visits started in 2019 and, aside from the pandemic period when this wasn’t possible, the group, which currently comprises 14 members, estimates that they do around 30 visits per year, according to Leong and Lo.
**Own Theatre was founded in 2013 and is a group engaged in original theatrical productions, community outreach and artistic exchange platforms. They regularly provide clown care services in local hospitals and continuously develop stage clown projects, according to a previous statement recently provided to the Post.
Red Pills Clown Care programme founder Bobo Leong Ka Wai (centre), “When We’re Sick” editor Sara Lo Tak Wai (left) and artist and illustrator Yolanda Kog pose after the recent Post interview in the city centre.
Photos taken by Yolanda Kog and recently provided by Red Pills Clown Care group.
