Kids are always asking questions, and thanks to the recent Asian Festival of Children’s Content, we were able to grab a bunch of cool books about exploring Singapore…
Mudley Explores Singapore, by Arp Raph Broadhead
Mudley is a teddy bear belonging to a “little girl in Europe”, who’s been packed into a suitcase and brought here. In each Instagram-worthy picture of a familiar sight — or interesting, but less familiar sight — of Singapore, Mudley appears, making for an amusing little spot-the-bear activity in pictures of a farm (you did know we have those, right?), the Zoo, Raffles Hotel…
The Little Singapore Book, by Sim Ee Waun and Joyceline See Tully
Written in conjunction with SG50, this is a little heavier on the history, but will still capture attention as it describes Singapore’s history in charming watercolours. The best part is that each colour spread is full of hidden items, secret allusions and fun activities (coconut candy recipe!). It also links to a website, which unpacks more of the hidden stuff in the book…
Island of Legends, by Don Bosco
For slightly older kids, this Lion City Adventures book has big-eyed kawaii characters — so familiar to us — plus all the usual tales of old Singapore (once named Pulau Ujong). It’s also got colouring pages, origami instructions and puzzles slotted in between snippets about the notorious swordfish attack on Tanjong Pagar that was stopped by banana trunks, and of course, Sang Nila Utama’s famous crown loss.
The Hunt for the Green Boomerang, by Neil Humphreys
It’s primarily an eco-tale, that follows three boys cycling on Pulau Ubin. Along the way, it introduces your kid to the types of wildlife that you can find there — blue-throated bee eaters that weave their nests, palm civets with their striped tails and elephant ears growing wild. Plus, yes, there is a mystery to solve…
Want to know more about locally produced, written and illustrated books for kids? Check out the Asian Festival of Children’s Content.
KIDS READS Sisters and brothers