Launch of Singapore Childhood Our Stories Then and Now and 《我们这样长大》新加坡的童年生活

Saturday, 11 August 2012 – Singapore Children’s Society held a double book launch at the National Library Building for two publications – Singapore Childhood Our Stories Then and Now and 《我们这样长大》新加坡的童年生活 published by World Scientific and Global Publishing (八方文化创作室) respectively.

Mooted by then-President SR Nathan, who was Children’s Society’s Patron-in-Chief, the books trace the political, economic and social changes that have taken place over the past six decades and how they have transformed the childhood of children in Singapore.

These changes are vividly brought to life through anecdotes and memories drawn from interviews with contributors hailing from different races and age groups. These stories, accompanied by archived materials from different sources, revisit the aspects of childhood such as birth, home, play, school, health and welfare. The vintage photographs and narratives in the books provide a unique insight about the past to young readers, and at the same time serve as a nostalgic read for adults.

Dr S Vasoo, Associate Professorial Fellow at the Department of Social Work of the National University of Singapore, says that the books are unique “both in pictures and words to capture the past, present and the future issues related to the social, psychological and health development of children in the context of the Singapore society. So far, very few local publications in the area of children have been able to document graphically and vividly childhood historical developments, anecdotes and insights into the challenges facing children growing up in Singapore.”

The English and Chinese books were unveiled by Guest-of-Honour Mr S. R. Nathan and Chairman of Singapore Children’s Society, Mr Koh Choon Hui.

Members of the public may attend two book sharing sessions for a chance to get a glimpse of what childhood was like in the bygone years:

English Book Sharing Session
Date: Saturday, 25 August
Time: 11am to 1pm
Venue: Woodlands Regional Library

Chinese Book Sharing Session
Date: Sunday, 26 August
Time: 2pm to 4pm
Venue: Bishan Public Library

Singapore Childhood Our Stories Then and Now and 《我们这样长大》新加坡的童年生活 are now available at major bookstores.