Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali: The Accidental Doctor

Title of Picture Book: Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali: The Accidental Doctor

Author: Eva Wong Nava with June Ho

Illustrator: Debasmita Dasgupta

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): World Scientific Publishing, Singapore 

Publisher’s Blurb: Meet Siti Hasmah, a little girl, who wanted to be a journalist, in a period when not every girl was sent to school. 
See what happened to her, her family, and country when World War II struck. 
Walk in her footsteps as she graduates from university and went on to save the lives of many Malaysian women and children. 
See what she finally ended up being.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc):STEAM, Asian Women, Medicine, World War 2, Education for Girls, Childhood, Culture

5 Keywords (other than themes): Sheroes, Asian Women, Women Who Shaped Asia, Biography, Change makers

Brief Review (in under 50 words): We know her as Malaysia’s indefatigable first lady, but her quiet heroism has helped so many in her capacity as a doctor and pioneer of women’s health long before that. In this sweetly illustrated book kids can get to know Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah as a girl with her own dreams and aspirations.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): Amazon; World Scientific Website, All online book stores, National Library, British Library

ISBN Number (if available): 978-981-122-111-8

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Eva Wong Nava

Mina’s Magic Malong

Title of Picture Book: Mina’s Magic Malong

Author: Eva Wong Nava with June Ho

Illustrator: Novita Elisa

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Penguin SEA

Publisher’s Blurb: Elisa is finding it difficult to cope with her nanny, Mina, going home. She tries hard in her six-year-old way, to stop Mina from leaving. But Mina has to go. A present from Mina forms a magic bond between them. While Mina goes back to tending to her children, her affection and love for Ella flows through the malong.

Mina’s Magic Malong stirs a magical wonder in reminding readers of a universal human emotion that resides in all of us, no matter how diverse we are: Love.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): Self, friends, family, value

5 Keywords (other than themes): migrant workers, helper, farewell, parting, memories

Brief Review (in under 50 words): Heartwarming story 

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-9-814-86724-5

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name):Moses

The Boy Who Talks in Bits and Bobs

Title of Picture Book: The Boy Who Talks in Bits and Bobs

Author: Eva Wong Nava

Illustrator: Debasmita Dasgupta

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Armour Publishing, Singapore

Publisher’s Blurb: Owen is a boy like any other ordinary boy. He loves to play the ukulele and he loves to sing. But speaking does not come easily for Owen. He speaks in bits and bobs. He finds that anything is possible with love, kindness and patience.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): Self, friends, inclusive, 

5 Keywords (other than themes): Stutter, understanding, stammer, empathy, teachers

Brief Review (in under 50 words): Builds empathy

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library

ISBN Number (if available):978-981-48-0780-7

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

The Yummiest Cupcake

Title of Picture Book: The Yummiest Cupcake

Author: Leila Boukarim

Illustrator: Barbara Moxham

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Marshall Cavendish, Singapore

Publisher’s Blurb: Alex loves cupcakes. He loves to bake them, he loves to ice them and most of all, he loves to eat them! But there is one thing Alex doesn’t like. He is only ever allowed one. That’s the rule. Just one cupcake. When Alex can’t decide which cupcake to choose on his birthday, it seems like nothing is going his way … until he gets home to find a wonderful birthday surprise!

A sweet story about passion and perseverance from the creators of Hello, Goodbye Little Island and A Warm Christmas.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc):Self, family 

5 Keywords (other than themes): Cupcakes, passion, perseverance, baking, birthday 

Brief Review (in under 50 words): Comes with a cupcake recipe too.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-971-48-4128-3

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

Practice Makes Po-fect!

Title of Picture Book: Practice Makes Po-fect!

Author: Tan Chun Xiao, Diandrea Ho Siu Ping, Nicholas Tan Kian Boon, Ang Hao Duan

Illustrator: Tan Chun Xiao

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Raffles Ecological Literacy Programme, Singapore

Publisher’s Blurb: Po, the Raffles’ Banded Langur, has just started climbing but, it is not as easy as it seems! He does not want to be the slowest in his troop anymore, so he goes off looking for his friends for help. Join Po in his journey as he learns to work hard and never give up.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): self, friends, values

5 Keywords (other than themes): practice, animals, motion, support, unique

Brief Review (in under 50 words): Besides the Raffles Banded Langur, this story also introduces the Common Gliding Lizard, Malayan Colugo and Paradise Tree Snake

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library Board, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-981-11-3249-0

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

Franny’s Ballerina Dream

Title of Picture Book: Franny’s Ballerina Dream

Author: Tang Hanyu

Illustrator: Chua Zixin, Janice Yap

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Teamway Education Resources, Singapore

Publisher’s Blurb: “Start protecting your eyes. It’s never too late.” – Franny

We are Project FOReSIGHT, a group of students from School of Arts, Singapore (SOTA), who are currently doing a Community Problem Solving (CmPS) project on childhood myopia.

Hence, we aim to create more opportunities for both children aged 4 to 12 and their parents to be more aware of the importance of protecting their eyesight through practicing good eye care habits so that there will be a decrease in the number of children suffering from myopia in Singapore.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): self, family, values

5 Keywords (other than themes): myopia, handphone, habits, ballet, rhyme

Brief Review (in under 50 words): Comes with notes on good and bad eye care habits.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library Board, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-981-11-3999-4

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

Happy Hat

Title of Picture Book: Happy Hat

Author: Cecil Kim

Illustrator: Joo-kyeong Kim

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Big & Small Publisher

Publisher’s Blurb: In this story, a finely crafted hat finds its circumstances change through its life. Whatever its situation, the hat finds pleasure and satisfaction.

Retold from Korean by Joy Cowley.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): self, valuess

5 Keywords (other than themes): positive thinking, creativity, clothing, people, nature

Brief Review (in under 50 words): A beautifully illustrated and simple story.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library Board, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-1-921790-51-5

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

The Lonely King and Queen

Title of Picture Book: The Lonely King and Queen

Author: Deepa Balsavar

Illustrator: Deepa Balsavar

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Tulika Publishers, India

Publisher’s Blurb: A lonely king and queen hear a voice calling out for them. They look inside their home, their garden and beyond, searching in vain, while all the time it grows louder ….

Author and illustrator Deepa Balsavar says, “This is the story we made up for our little girl. As a baby it was her night-time favourite, accompanied by much acting and searching around the house. She grew up knowing that adoption is just another way in which families are created. And so it should be.”

Written like a bedtime story and illustrated with gentle humour, this book leads the reader to discover what ‘family’ really means without mystifying the fact of adoption. More, it reaffirms the right of every child to be loved and to have a home.

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): family, values

5 Keywords (other than themes): adoption, search, home, sari, loneliness

Brief Review (in under 50 words): Simple ad charming tale dealing with the interesting topic of adoption.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library Board, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-81-8146-943-4

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

Under the Neem Tree

Title of Picture Book: Under the Neem Tree

Author: P Anuradha

Illustrator: A V Ilango

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Tulika Publishers, India

Publisher’s Blurb: Everyday after school, Kla and her friends gather under the Neem tree and wait for Nainamma to tell them stories. Today Nainamma tells them about the well-known folktale about Ookamma and Okaiah, sprinkling it as usual with her homilies and conveying her world view.

Under the Neem Tree is not just a story about a story set in rural Andhra Pradesh. In it, two rolds come alive together – the real one in which children make riends, eat, play and watch adults squabble and bully, and the world of Nainamma’s story. And as the story of Ookamma and Ookaiahunfolds, so does the everyday life of the children in all its rich detail, drawing readers inot a world where issues of work and food are constant concerns. When the story ends, the children roll with laughter. And so does Nainamma.

The flowing lines of Illango’s illustrations perfectly capture the liveliness of the story and its ambience.

Translated from Telugu by N Manohar Reddy

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): friends, places, values

5 Keywords (other than themes): storyteller, hunger, death, rural life, speaking

Brief Review (in under 50 words): A seemingly wordy but very engaging tale within a tale. Cleverly woven together. Deals with some unusual themes like hunger, death and rural life.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library Board, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 93-5046-060-2

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses

What a Noise!

Title of Picture Book: What a Noise!

Author: Nur Humaira Suleman and Nur Linda Halek

Illustrator: Nur Azmi Mokhtar

Publisher and Country (may be self-published): Pustaka Nasional, Singapore

Publisher’s Blurb: Jojo likes his new home but his neighbours are just too noisy.

English translation from Malay by Huda Mukhlis

Theme (Self, Friends, Family, Places, Celebrations, Nature, Technology, etc): friends, nature, values

5 Keywords (other than themes): quiet, neighbours, animal sounds, gratefulness, helpful

Brief Review (in under 50 words): A simple tale about being good neighbours.

Where to buy or borrow (if available): National Library Board, Singapore

ISBN Number (if available): 978-9971-77-782-1

Submitted by (could be your preferred name, including pen name): Moses