ABOUT THE BOOK/ BLURB

Puteh loses her amulet, a protective charm for health, in a fight with her best friend Itam. Without it, she feels unwell and has terrible nightmares. Read about the comical exploits of Itam and the amah, the family servant, when they try to help her. A story of friendship and loyalty, join the two children on a journey back in time to learn about two ancient Chinese traditions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A mother of three, Adeline Foo received the inaugural First Time Writers & Illustrators Publishing Initiative Award given by the Media Development Authority and the National Book Development Council of Singapore in 2006. Since then, she has published four books featuring denizens of Singapore’s tropical rainforest, Ben’s Friends from the Rainforest, Secret Hoarder, Lost in the Secret Garden and The Midnight Tree.

The first book was adapted into a cartoon and aired on national TV and showcased at an animation fair in MIPCOM, and Cannes. In June 2008, the National Heritage Board supported Adeline to develop a series of stories entitled Peranakan Fables.

This series for young readers showcases the unique Chinese-Malay-European immigrant hybrid culture of the Peranakans, in The Beaded Slippers, The Kitchen God and The Amulet. The Peranakan Fables received excellent reviews in the Singapore press, and even made their way across the globe to the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany and Singapore Day in Melbourne, in October 2008.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

A designer by training, Lee Kowling is much sought after for her watercolour illustrations for children’s books. Herself a mother of two young kids, she has worked on more than 20 children’s books.

In 2007, Kowling collaborated with Katrina Griffiths for The Wombat Stole My Shoe; it was later selected for the Australian Booksellers Association’s children’s reading guide. She has illustrated Adeline Foo’s Peranakan series which includes The Beaded Slippers, The Kitchen God, Chilli Padi and The Amulet.

Kowling has also worked on cartooning and art appreciation workshops with the Ministry of Education (Singapore).