This year, AFCC 2017 is proud to launch the following publications:  

CindeRilla

CindeRilla is delighted when a new neighbour invites her to a potluck party. But there is a problem: she cannot cook! Determined to bring her favourite dish, CindeRilla asks her stepmother for help and heads to the market. Will she be able to get all she needs and make her dish in time for the party? And just what is this mysterious dish? Find out in CindeRilla’s hilarious—and tasty—adventure!

By Rilla Melati
Illustrations by Maria Christania
Translation by Wikan Satriati

Sayur! Sayur! Vegetables for Sale

Ani lives with her mother and aunt in Jakarta. Every day, they push and pull a wooden cart all the way to the big market to buy vegetables, then push and pull it all the way back to sell the vegetables. But one day, Ani’s aunt falls ill. Who will help her mother now? In this heartwarming story, Ani learns what it takes to be a vegetable seller and what being strong really means.

By Renny Yaniar
Illustrations by Joey Ng
Translations by John H McGlynn

Air

The original English edition of Water was published at AFCC 2013, in celebration of the International Year of Water Cooperation. This beautiful poem with lavish illustrations has since been translated and published in Chinese, Tamil, Hindi, and now Bahasa Indonesia, ensuring that it’s meaningful message can reach children far across Asia. Special thanks to Afterhours Books for translation and redesign.

By Christopher Cheng
Illustrations by Susanna Goho-Quek
Translation by Rahma Adriani

 

Painting Landscapes: Children’s Literature About and Beyond Asia

This is an edited collection of essays and presentations, based on the highlights of, and key ideas shared during the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in 2016, with a regional focus on Japan. Scholars and practitioners, writers, and publishers share their unique experiences and reflections on children’s literature in and about Asia and beyond its shores, and how it relates to global reading and literacy initiatives. Contributing authors are educationalists, publishers, literary arts managers, translators, illustrators and authors including Adan Jimenez (Singapore), Avery Fischer Udagawa (Japan), Eliza Teoh (Singapore), Janet Evans (USA), Kazuo Iwamura (Japan), Kyoko Sakai (Japan), Yuko Takesako (Japan) and Yumiko Sakuma (Japan).
Edited by Asst Prof Myra Garces-Bacsal, PhD

 



To Japan, With Love: A Collection of Short Stories Inspired by a Visit to Japan

NBDCS staff and 23 writing/illustration students from Hwa Chong Institute, LASALLE College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Polytechnic, School of the Arts, Singapore, and Temasek Polytechnic visited Tokyo and Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture in Japan from 13 – 20 December 2016.

The JENESYS2016 programme was organised by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) and fully sponsored by the Japanese government. The Singaporean students learnt about the culture of Japan, interacted with Japanese students and people and developed picture book story ideas on the theme of ‘Best friends and culture’. The students also visited the Chihiro Art Museum, Hakuba Village Office, Hakuba High School, National Diet Library and spent two nights at homestays in Hakuba Village.

NBDCS Director Kenneth Quek and a JICE coordinator facilitated a three-hour workshop for the Japanese and Singapore students. The students shared about children’s stories which were popular in their respective countries and created new story ideas. The Singaporean students wrote and illustrated storyboards and began work on their picture books which they would complete in Singapore.

This book is the culmination of their work and can be downloaded here.

Themed Picture Book Bibliographies

We are introducing a new website, Themed Picture Books, where you can find the picture books listed in these bibliographies. If you would like to recommend titles to be added to this website, please share with us there!

Previous Publications