RoSIE AND THE MAMAK SHOP
While working as a homeroom teacher in international schools in Singapore, I noticed a gap in the local Singaporean picture book market. I found it challenging to find stories that featured Singaporean-Indian children, curly-haired children, multilingual children, and female characters with short hair.
This gap served as motivation for me to introduce Rosie to other children. I also wrote Rosie and the Mamak Shop to immortalise a significant childhood routine that I looked forward to every day: getting delicious kentang curry puffs from the mamak shop uncle under my block, who was my first adult friend!
CURLY
Growing up, I constantly had to explain why I kept my hair short—or worse, defend my choice. I certainly felt the weight of narrow beauty standards that dictate women should have long hair.
Now, as an adult, I cherish my short, curly pixie cut and wouldn’t change it for anything. However, I wish I had grown up with books featuring female characters with short hair because our perceptions of the world are shaped during our formative years. So, instead of just wishing, I decided to write a picture book about a protagonist with short hair—one who navigates the emotional journey of questioning whether she should conform and ultimately emerges with confidence, strength, and fearlessness!
_edited.jpg)