Synopsis
Join Scamper, the inquisitive and feisty blue budgie, and his human friend on a series of intriguing experiences at Prince Philip Avenue! Take in the sights and sounds of this uniquely Singapore neighbourhood and revel in the beauty of what may seem 'extra-' ordinary. You and your family will treasure the Blue Budgie Can't Stay Still series for years to come!
Books in this set:
Book 1: There Was Once a Blue Budgie Who Lived in Redhill
Now Scamper loved all that he saw;
The people, the laughter, the smells and all.
"This is why I love Redhill;
Prince Philip Avenue, where every day is new!"
Join Scamper, the beautiful blue budgie, on his adventures around the quiet neighbourhood of Prince Philip Avenue in the late 1980s. Watch him explore the area with a friend, meet fascinating neighbours and escape from danger in the first book of this delightful new series. Based on the author's experiences growing up in Redhill, the Blue Budgie Can't Stay Still series captures the small treasures of life in post-war and modern Singapore, takes young readers through the world of local slang and dialect, and brings the past and its memories to vivid life.
Book 2: Scamper and the One-Dollar Note
Scamper's human friend brings him to the coffee shop to buy some food. It is a trip like any other, until a one-dollar note falls out of her pocket and Scamper leaps into action to get it back. But a young boy picks it up and spends it before Scamper can reach it, and so our adventurous blue budgie follows the note as it falls into the hands of one resident after another. Will he be able to retrieve the note? And what stories would he tell of its travels?
Book 3: Scamper Has Ondeh-Ondeh with Ah Ma
When Scamper and his human friend head upstairs to Grandma's flat to help her prepare some snacks, he looks forward to sweet, delicious ondeh-ondeh - boiled glutinous rice and tapioca dough balls wrapped around caramelised, brown palm sugar. Ah Ma and the little girl talk as they work, and Scamper learns of Ah Ma's hard life during the Japanese Occupation and the struggles of the post-war years.
ISBN: 978-981-44-6184-9
Size: 210 by 149 mm (closed)
No. of Pages: Book 1: 72, Books 2 & 3: 64
Year Published: 2013
About the Series: Scamper's accounts offer glimpses into life in the humble neighbourhood of Prince Philip Avenue, an early public housing estate still revelling in the simple and inspiring ways of 1960s Singapore. Set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the scenes become pockets of nostalgia of sorts amidst the nation's rapid modernisation, as the blue budgie captures sightings of the precious last remnants of semi-rural, neighbourhood living in Singapore. Peppered with dashes of local slang and dialect, the stories also serve to immerse readers into what is intimately Singapore. With metres and calculated syllables, these accidental poems add fun to simple word play!
About the Author
Mabelle Yeo has been an editor for both inline and print media, and has successfully helmed and produced a series of North American, regional and local publications. Born in lovely, sunny Singapore, she grew up in the quiet but enigmatic public estate of Prince Philip Avenue in the late 1980s. She is thrilled to see Scamper and his human friend come alive again through these simple snapshots of life in this little neighbourhood that some may find pretty enchanting.
