Singapore's Picture Books

Yesterday, I'd found a series of 9 new picture books on the shelf in Popular Bookstore. These books are published under the First Time Writers & Illustrators Publishing Initiative 2009 (FTWIPI).

If I'm not wrong, FTWIPI is in its 4th round this year. The Initiative, organized jointly by Media Development Authority (MDA) and the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS), is targeted at assisting the publication of new works by unpublished local writers and illustrators.

One of my favorite, Jin Pyn’s The Elephant and the Tree released in year 2006 is one of them.



I bought the following 3 (all at $9.63 ea) :

• Ah Kong's Clock  |  written by Belinda Chan, Illustrated by Lynette Long 
  
• Rochee - the friendliest cockroach  |  written and illustrated by Gavin Goo
  
• The Shepherd and his Cloud  |  written by Natalie Pang, illustrated by Drewscape

Ah Kong's Clock reminds me of my own ah kong and his antique wall clock.  Rochee is about how this friendliest cockroach managed to befriend that special someone  ...... a girl lah, of course.  This adorable, techie "gazua" (cockroach in Hokkien) even has a blog : iloverochee.blogspot.com. :) The Shepherd And His Cloud is about the delicate bonds of friendship.

It just keeps getting better and better.