Myra Garces-Bacsal of Gathering Books fame has just written a Personal View for us – “A Delectable Taster of Picture Books from Singapore”:
Ever since the birth of Gathering Books a year ago, I have endeavored to know more about children’s literature in Singapore, the Little Red Dot that is my current home now. When Marjorie emailed me about putting together my Personal View on children’s books in Singapore, I knew I would have a tough time – but an enjoyable one as well. And being the researcher that I am, I headed straight to the library to immerse myself in more and more children’s books written and illustrated by Singaporean authors.
Among the qualities I observed from the variety of picture books that I took pleasure in reading was that most of the narratives (1) are informative; (2) are meant to educate or share some knowledge concerning an individual’s developmental disorder/illness; (3) highlight some environmental issue or societal concern; or (4) provide some random fact about animals, place, or groups of people. Given that Singapore is an excellence-driven society with a high premium on education, this does not surprise me at all. Despite the country’s being a ‘tiny red dot’ on the map, I continue to be amazed at the variety of picture books that are available that so effectively demonstrate the richness of Singapore’s heritage and history.
Head on over to the PaperTigers website to read the rest of Myra’s article, including her selection of picture books… I guarantee that you, like me, will be trying to work out a way to get hold of them! Here’s a delectable taster:
Last year in Singapore a new children’s literature conference was launched: The Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). Organized by the National Book Development Council of Singapore and The Arts House, the mission of the AFCC was (and is) to foster excellence in the creation, production and publication of children’s materials with Asian content in all formats and to facilitate their distribution and access, first in Asia and then to children worldwide. The AFCC noted:
Over a billion children in Asia lack good resources, both for their education and entertainment. Those who have the means and the access, benefit from a wide selection of edutainment material available from the West. Asian material, even those available, is seldom promoted and is therefore left unexplored. Bringing quality Asian content to children is paramount as it would make children aware of Asia’s unique environment and cultural values, promote understanding of, and love for, the literary and visual arts. It will thereby lay the foundation for a good and all-round education. This will benefit parents, teachers, librarians and children in Asia as well as the world.
The inaugural AFCC festival was a huge success with over 400 participants from 17 countries attending, and dates were promptly set for the 2nd AFCC to be held 26 – 28 May 2011. Here at PaperTigers we were eager to attend the 2011 festival, especially when the opportunity arose to conduct an AFCC panel discussion with Tarie Sabido (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal (Gathering Books.org). So on May 23rd I departed Vancouver, Canada and headed to Singapore, brimming with excitement and enthusiasm (and a wee bit of nervousness at the thought of my panel presentation) and eager to take part in all the AFCC had to offer. I was thrilled at the thought of this opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals all eager to discuss Asian children’s and young adult literature.
This was my first time visiting Singapore and I was immediately struck by how perfect a spot it was to hold a festival that focused on the gathering of people from Pacific Rim and South Asia countries. Singapore’s geographical location has resulted in the the country historically being a gathering spot for people of many ethnicities and religions. The majority of Singaporeans is of Chinese descent (74% according to the 2009 census); 13.4% are of Malay and 9.2% of Indian descent. There are four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil; and multiple religions are represented. The multicultural flavor of Singapore is represented in the distinct ethnic neighbourhoods – Chinatown, Little India and the Arab Quarter – as well as the large number of religious buildings, some of which have great historical significance. The Singapore government recognizes the importance of racial and religious harmony and, of course, this is something that we all would like to see promoted and reflected in children’s literature.
To be in such a multicultural city and then to have even more cultures represented, as attendees arrived for t
David W.F. Wong,
The Jade Bangle
The Koi Pond
The Missing Chopstick
Armour Publishing, 2004.
Ages 9-13
In this unusual coming-of-age series, David W.F. Wong tells the distinct stories of three different young Asians who stumble upon mysteries that change the way they view their own lives and give them a new perspective on the future. Each of the titles stands alone as a solitary novella. In fact, it is not the characters that tie the books together, but rather the structure and form of the stories themselves.
In The Jade Bangle, originally self-published in 2000 and the recipient of Singapore’s National Self-Published Book Award, sponsored by the US-based Writer’s Digest, twelve-year-old Annie hears the story of a family heirloom, in which she learns about the horrors of war and discovers some remarkable truths about her family. In The Koi Pond, thirteen-year-old Alvin finds an old key while helping his father realize his life-long dream of digging a koi pond in the family garden. Unraveling the mystery of the key leads him to a lonely old woman with a story that changes young Alvin’s outlook on his future and the aging woman’s own perspective on her past. In the longest of the three books, The Missing Chopstick, Kim returns home to Singapore after her first year of university in Chicago and unearths documents and newspaper clippings that lead her to uncover secrets about her life and the cruelty of the world, while solving the mystery of the single chopstick her mother had given her as a child.
All of the books are plot-driven and make for a quick and compelling read. The intricate mysteries each young character pursues are filled with heartbreak, endurance, and the power of love to conquer all. Indeed Wong, himself a Presbyterian minister and the author of several spiritual works for adults, infuses each book with a subtle Christian message and references to the Bible without being heavy-handed or preachy.
Beyond the religious subtext, the books all celebrate the value of family love and loyalty, the importance of kindness, and the transformative power of forgiveness. The books also reference important historic events such as World War II (The Jade Bangle), the plight of the Vietnamese “Boat People” who fled the war in their country during the 1970s (The Missing Chopstick), and the more locally relevant Bukit Ho Swee Fire of 1961 in Singapore, in which 16,000 people lost their homes in a single day (The Koi Pond).
This series is notable for featuring Asian youth on the cusp of personal transition who explore stories from a larger context that have an impact on their lives and the way they see themselves. Wong has made history personal for his characters while giving readers engaging stories that will encourage them to think about their own lives and their ability to influence the lives of others for the better.
Abigail Sawyer
May 2011
