When Life Gives You Durians…

Do you enjoy durians? Hate them? Durians are one of those polarising foods. You either have a designated section in your fridge for them…or never want to be in a room with one. In the end, it’s all a matter of different preferences and taste buds. What do we do when we disagree or have fundamentally different personalities and opinions?

We recently published a book about it!

On 7 March, we launched ‘Bailey Breaks the Ice’ by local author Mabelle Yeo. We’re thankful to NLB, which provided the Stories Come Alive room at Punggol Library so that we could host this celebration!

Parents and children were given a sneak peek to the story, following main characters Bailey the bowl and his durian companions on a journey to unite a group of disparate ingredients in a kitchen fridge.

‘Bailey’ is the fourth and book in her ‘Embracing Diversity’ series. As the name suggests, this series inspires readers to bridge divides and tap on their shared experiences, in order to strengthen trust and resilience within communities. As the final book in the set, ‘Bailey’ is the perfect closer, championing themes of harmony, self-confidence and playing to one another’s strengths.

We were so delighted to have Mabelle write and publish this series with us!  As the Singapore government ramps up support to create a more inclusive environment for its citizens, The ‘Embracing Diversity’ series could not have come at a more opportune time.

Mabelle’s favourite topics are inclusivity, social resilience and cohesion. Writing ‘Embracing Diversity’ reflects her heart for the multi-cultural society her readers live in, and is her personal effort to educate and inspire the younger generation to welcome each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

The other three books in this series, ‘Theodore finds His Spot’, ‘Poppy Meets a Star’ and ‘Millie Lightens Up’, drive home the same message of celebrating one’s intrinsic value, with each book following a different protagonist on a path towards confidence and empathy.

With the series, Mabelle hopes that children will persevere in the face of this uncertain world we live in. Perhaps well-summarised in Bailey the bowl’s words, may we work together to ensure that “those at the bottom do not get lost or forgotten”!

For the durian-averse, maybe this is your sign to try durians once again. Who knows—it may finally be your moment to embrace diversity (durians)!

Check out our shop to purchase ‘Bailey Breaks The Ice’ and the rest of the ‘Embracing Diversity’ series.