New picture books on Chinese rituals, food, and early migrants to Singapore launched

A set of 10 new Chinese picture books based on local Chinese culture has been launched by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic Chinese
Studies (NPCHS).

The books seek to educate children from four to 12 years old on the four main themes from the SINGAPO人 exhibition at SCCC, namely: Chinese festival rituals, local food, early migrants and cultural values.

Primary school and preschool educators may download e-copies of these picture books and
use them as part of their learning and teaching resources. One set of the physical books is also available for loan.

Each book features a lesson plan and suggested activities to guide the learner on various aspects of our local culture such as Where Did They Come From, a story of a little girl learning about her grandfather’s hardships when he left his hometown to settle down in an unfamiliar country, Singapore.

Go Makan, The Magical Bak Kut Teh and I Want A Cup Of Dinosaur meanwhile touch on our local food and drink culture.

Most of the NPCHS students involved in this project are aspiring primary school teachers or early childhood educators, who aim to specialise in Chinese.

Vanassa Ang for example, author of I Want A Cup Of Dinosaur, has an interest in founding a start-up to alleviate the struggles of learning Chinese and connect to Chinese Culture and the community through her creative ideas.

SCCC has had other collaborations with various secondary schools and institutions in the past, such as Maris Stella High School for the Junior Guide Training Programme in 2019.