People often think that writing for children is strictly kids stuff, and some, unfamiliar with children's literature, equate the value of a book with the number of words on a page.

Fortunately, with the dedicated efforts of many talented writers, illustrators, publishers, librarians and educators, perspectives are changing.

There is renewed focus in our schools on children’s literature, not just for language learning, but also for character and values education, as well as social and emotional learning.

The growing recognition once again that art is an essential expression of our humanity has seen the resurgence of support for a variety of art forms, including the literary arts, for which I am grateful.

Mapping S'pore

I am also mighty chuffed by the fact that such support recently allowed me, as a children’s writer, in a small but very literal way, to “put Singapore on the map!”

A large contingent of businessmen, musicians, artists, students and writers visited Cape Town, South Africa in April for Spotlight Singapore, an initiative of The Arts House and Asian Culture Enterprise Singapore.

This international exchange programme is intended to showcase Singapore and seek opportunities for dialogue, understanding and collaboration with new and emerging markets.

To prepare for my visit, I contacted some well-known South African children’s authors and illustrators to gauge their interest.

The responses from Helen Brain and Marjorie van Heerden were spontaneous and very generous.  Not only were they willing to come to our event, they were happy to set up some of their own.

They, together with their friends and contacts, showed much interest in what has happening in the children’s writing scene in Singapore and were eager to reach out to this part of the world through Singapore.

Joy from children

Another wonderful opportunity came when Mr Mandla Matyumza, Head of the Centre for the Book in Cape Town invited me to present a session to local children from a nearby centre.

The children were a delight and the session went well and we ended with a joyful little ditty about acceptance of diversity that I have used often in Singapore.

Some way through the session, I noticed a couple of ladies had joined us at the back. Mrs Salo Moodley, Principal of the Good Hope School Seminary Junior School, and her assistant, who had been invited to the session, so enjoyed it that Mrs Moodley decided nothing less than a visit to her school, “just round the corner” would be in order.

Mrs Moodley was inspired by the directions that she had heard the Singapore school system was taking in technological innovation as well as in seeding character and values education into the curriculum, and proudly led us on a tour of the premises.

We saw every room and every modern facility that this feisty lady had managed to coax out of generous donors, including the library and the computer room. She led us into every classroom as well.

“Good morning,” she would say to the teacher and the children, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have visitors from Singapore!”  Then she would invite us into the room and proceed with the introductions. “She is an author,” Mrs Moodley would say. “Who can tell me what an author is?”

The children would often perform spontaneously for us: reciting, singing or dancing.

As the school followed the Waldorf Method, the focus was on multisensory and multicultural instruction and I was amazed to hear one class sing and dance to a song about the Hindu triumvirate: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

It was this acceptance of all races and religions that the South Africans I met seemed to hold most dear, and what, for me, made the strongest connection with Singapore.

As Mrs Moodley showed off murals on every wall, I noticed that one bright corner corridor had been decorated with a map of the world. The Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia were represented, including, Malaysia and Indonesia... and there on the right was Australia. But where was Singapore?

Pointing out the little red dot

“Mrs Moodley,” I said, “We need a stepladder.” George the handyman was duly sent to fetch a ladder, marker pens came from the nearest class and Mrs Moodley held the ladder steady while I clambered up and put our little red dot on the map!

What do I value most about the trip?  The respect and consideration which we were accorded by people who themselves had such a wealth of extraordinary experience to share.

The posters, slogans and declarations everywhere of the essential dignity of man coupled with the real concern about security were constant reminders of the cherished ideals that had been so valiantly fought for and now needed to be stoutly defended.

South Africa

In this incredibly beautiful land with its history of violence, the amazing courage of its heroes, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and others who continue to preach forgiveness and reconciliation as the way to build a better future, are truly inspirational.

And what has all this to do with children’s writing in Singapore? If we want our little red dot to mean anything in this large and complex world, we might consider striving to provide to the children of Singapore something that might help them through their own uncharted, perhaps challenging times – ideals, values and perspectives that are carefully thought out and distilled to a clarity that is accessible.

This should be creatively shaped so that it is beautiful, moving, exciting or fun; and should be something that they can recognise as familiar and true. We should be trying to provide something called children’s literature.