5 books to get for kids this festive season and school holidays
‘Tis the festive season and school holidays to gift your children and their friends these delightful Singapore books.
For pre-schoolers
Ubin Elephant
Written by Alan John and illustrated by Quek Hong Shin
$14.95 from ST Books’s website and major bookstores
An elephant on Pulau Ubin? Yes, it turned up on the island in 1991 and caused great excitement among its residents for about a week.
Young readers will be enthralled by the book that was inspired by the true story of a real-life elephant appearance.
This is author Alan John and illustrator Quek Hong Shin’s second collaboration, following The One And Only Inuka (2018), an homage to the Singapore Zoo’s much-loved polar bear which died in 2018.
“Many people in their 20s and 30s think I am kidding when I say an elephant swam to Singapore from Johor in 1991. I’m not a conservationist, but a newsman who hasn’t forgotten some interesting stories that involved animals and nature in Singapore over the decades and I feel they’re worth remembering,” says John, a former deputy editor of The Straits Times.
“I hope Ubin Elephant gets children to care about animals and the surprising amount of wildlife we have in very urban Singapore. Perhaps it will spark curiosity in some about the rainforests and national parks right next door in Malaysia and Indonesia, and so much in them that is precious, even endangered.”
He adds: “If some children read this book and ask their parents to take them to Pulau Ubin for a day out, that will be just wonderful.”
The Birds In The Balcony
Written and illustrated by Josephyne Ho
$13.80 from Shopee
When Tim and his little sister Ann move into their new home, they soon find a family of olive-backed sunbirds joining them… at their balcony. The story combines fun facts and the life cycle of these common birds in Singapore, including their habit of building their nests and raising chicks.
“The story came about from my own observations of the sunbirds at my balcony,” says author Josephyne Ho, who is also a senior principal at EtonHouse Pre-School Mountbatten 223. “The behaviours and conversations between the protagonists, Tim and Ann, were all me and my thoughts and self-talk that I had over the past years while watching sunbirds raising their families.”
When Ann is writing in the story, she flips the letters S and N backwards – a common occurrence when pre-schoolers learn to write.
Ho explains: “I thought that this might be a good starting point for discussions about child development and dyslexia.”
This is Ho’s third children’s book. Her earlier books, Tourette Syndrome And Me (2020) and Indy’s Diary (2021), were written to lend a voice to children who have certain conditions which cause challenges in their lives.
She adds: “Hopefully, my new book will spark more curiosity – and conversations – of sunbirds and nature in our children.”
I Can Help!
Written by C. Southgate
$14.99 from Olives & Bear’s website
This is a simple yet endearing board book for young readers, especially if they have a helper at home. Little Olivia has one and she sees her as her “friend who helps” her.
First-time author Christina Southgate named the character after her four-year-old child. The “friend” is their family helper Myra from the Philippines. She has been with them for five years.
“Myra loved the book and was surprised that we would go to the effort of creating something so special about her and helpers in general,” says Southgate, who also has a two-year-old son, Harrison.
“This book is a great way to describe the relationship between a helper and our children while showing appreciation for the helper community and all they do to support us.”
Proceeds of the book will go to migrant worker rights group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home).
For primary schoolers
Princess Incognito: Running Out Of Friends
Written by N.J. Humphreys and illustrated by Cheng Puay Koon
$14.95 before GST from major bookshops and online stores
Princess Sabrina is still trying to hide her identity, but she accidentally wins the running trial for the school sports day, which makes her the centre of attention – the last place she wants to be. And when her friends do not make the school running team, there is a massive fallout.
Besides friendship, the fifth book from the Princess Incognito series also tackles the issue of bullying.
“Apart from the usual trolls, bullying can come from friends, parents and even teachers,” says author N.J. Humphreys, better known as Neil Humphreys.
“Growing up in the UK, I was bullied terribly in secondary school. Such experiences are never forgotten.
“It’s why I simply cannot stomach bullying of any kind today – in schools, in workplaces, between genders, races and different socio-economic groups.”
He adds that bullying often starts in the classroom. “But my characters bravely stand up to their bullies and fight back – with funny and uplifting consequences.”
Secrets Of Singapore: Chinatown
Written by Catherine Nadira Tan and illustrated by Elvin Ching
$14.90 from Epigram Bookshop’s website, Epigram Bookshop’s pop-up store at 267 Beach Road and major bookstores
How did Chinatown become Chinatown? Did you know that it is Singapore’s largest historic district? Kids and parents alike can beef up their knowledge with best buddies Moo and Cluck.
With her breezy writing style peppered with dialogues between the two animal characters, author Catherine Nadira Tan hopes to debunk misconceptions that people may have about Chinatown, such as it being a “100 per cent Chinese” district.
“I hope readers will gain a deeper appreciation of Chinatown, and realise that the Chinese community is actually far more colourful and complex, with its myriad customs and practices among the different dialect groups.”
She adds: “It’s also a great book for tourists and visitors who want to visit Singapore and scratch beneath its surface.”
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