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[Book Review] Elizabeth Choy: Singapore's Kind Heroine (Our Amazing Heroes)

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I ’m sure that growing up, many Singaporeans would have heard about Elizabeth Choy. I learnt about her when I was in primary school and she was introduced to me as a WWII she-ro. I was amazed by her tenacity to endure the torture methods carried out by Japanese officers. However, I never really knew anything about her early years, which shaped her perspectives and actions in the later stages of her life. And that was until I read “Elizabeth Choy: Singapore’s Kind Heroine” from the ‘Our Amazing Heroes’ series.  Elizabeth Choy: Singapore’s Kind Heroine (Our Amazing Heroes) 2025 Published by: WS Education Written by: Shawn Seah, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee This book was a moving narrative that explored different stages in Elizabeth’s life, allowing readers to reflect on the motivations behind her actions. This was my personal favourite read out of the series (though I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed all three books).  “Moved by the plight of the prisoners and wanting to help ...
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[Book Review] Ee Peng Liang: Singapore's Father of Charity (Our Amazing Heroes)

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Today I read ”Ee Peng Liang: Singapore’s Father of Charity” written by Shawn Seah and Illustrated by Patrick Yee (this book is my second read from the ‘Our Amazing Heroes’ series. Link to my first review can be found here ).  Ee Peng Liang: Singapore’s Father of Charity (Our Amazing Heroes series) 2025 Published by: WS Education Written by: Shawn Seah, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee This year, Singapore is set to celebrate its 60 years of independence, which is a result of contributions from countless brave souls who resiliently fought against the Japanese during WWII. One of such fighters was Ee Peng Liang and this book narrates his story.  “Peng Liang bravely stepped forward. [...] The Japanese officer was impressed! [...] Instead of executing Peng Liang and the two other volunteers, he told them how much he admired their courage.” Peng Liang’s unwavering courage is one to be remembered for ages to come. The Japanese officers had powerful weapons that would instill fear in anyo...
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[Book Review] Ho Weng Toh: Singapore's Flying Tiger (Our Amazing Heroes)

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If you have been regularly following my blog posts, you would know that I'm an avid fan of creative non-fictions aimed at Singaporean children. And my most recent book reviews have revolved around the 'Our Amazing Pioneers' series, written by Shawn Seah and illustrated by Patrick Yee.  So, when both of these amazing creators come together to create yet another new series, of course I would be eager to get my hands on it as soon as possible?? I came to know of this series through the author's Instagram post (link can be found here ), in which he explained his motivation behind creating such books. It was truly inspiring; and to my readers: I'd suggest you watch it too! As a Singaporean, I agree with the author that we have a huge responsibility to pass the knowledge of our ancestors to future generations so that we could all collectively appreciate the way Singapore has developed into a formidable sovereign state. And 'Our Amazing Heroes' series is an ambitio...
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[Book Review] Syed Omar Aljunied: A Bridge Between Different Faiths (Our Amazing Pioneers series)

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Another week, another book from 'Our Amazing Pioneers' series ticked off my reading list. I had previously read the books written about  Seah Eu Chin and Naraina Pillai , and my latest read is the book about Syed Omar Aljunied.  Syed Omar Aljunied: A Bridge Between Different Faiths (Our Amazing Pioneers series) 2023 Published by: WS Education Written by: Shawn Seah, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee  I admire the fact that the author of this series introduces characters from various races, representing the multicultural diversity of Singapore. In this book, he narrates the story of Syed Omar Aljunied and his valuable contributions to Singapore. In all honesty, I had no knowledge of Syed Omar until I read this book... I only ever heard of his name through the Aljunied MRT Station.  "Syed Omar commissioned the building of the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka to serve the Malay fishermen, Bugis merchants and Malaccan businessmen who traded with the Chinese in the Chinatown area."...
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[Book Review] Naraina Pillai: Builder of the Sri Mariamman Temple (Our Amazing Pioneers series)

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After reading 'Seah Eu Chin: The King of Gambier and Pepper', I decided to borrow another book from the series, "Our Amazing Pioneers".  Naraina Pillai: Builder of the Sri Mariamman Temple (Our Amazing Pioneers series) 2023 Published by: WS Education  Written by: Shawn Seah, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee I vividly remember learning about Naraina Pillai as the builder of Sri Mariamman Temple. But that was all that I knew about him. Surely, he wouldn't have been such an important historical figure for merely building a temple? And this question propelled me to read Naraina Pillai's story out of all other books that were available in the series (just a personal preference).  After reading the first few pages of the book, a distinct feature that I noticed from the series is that it introduces the background story of where the protagonist lived before coming to Singapore. It aids readers to have a better understanding of the protagonist's actions and motivations....
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[Book Review] Seah Eu Chin: The King of Gambier and Pepper (Our Amazing Pioneers series)

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This week, I checked off 'Seah Eu Chin: The King of Gambier and Pepper' from my bucket list of Singaporean children's non-fiction books to read.  Seah Eu Chin: The King of Gambier and Pepper (Our Amazing Pioneers Series) 2023 Published by: WS Education Written by: Shawn Seah, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee This is one of the ten books featured in the 'Our Amazing Pioneers' series, written by Shawn Seah and illustrated by Patrick Yee. Each of the books narrates the story of one of Singapore's prominent ancestral figures in a hope to inspire future generations to make significant contributions to the betterment of Singapore. Before embarking on the read, I noticed the book cover mentioned that readers could learn from the good values embodied by protagonists of these stories. I had delved into the book expecting a vague historical recount of  the challenges that Seah Eu Chin overcame to become a merchant. Was this going to be merely another "childsplained" ...
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[Book Review] Harry Builds a Nation: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (Harry Lee Book 3)

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After enjoying the books 'A Boy Named Harry' and 'Harry Grows Up', of course I was going to read the final edition to the Harry Lee Book series, 'Harry Builds a Nation: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew'.  Harry Builds a Nation: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (Harry Lee Book 3) 2015 Published by: Epigram Books / Singapore Written by: Sheri Tan, Illustrated by: Patrick Yee While the first two books centered on Harry's character growth, this book specifically served as an ode to his invaluable contributions to Singapore throughout his life.  Mr Lee once told journalists, "I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. "At the end of the day, what have I got?  "A successful Singapore.  "What have I given up? "My life." I was amazed at how a man could be so passionate and patriotic about a country that he dedicated his entire life to developing it. It is no wonder the whole of Singapo...
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