with Adeline Foo Author, mother and budding screenwriter

Adeline Foo dons all these hats in her of Samsui women,” she said of this also suggested that she apply for funding pursuit of stories that bring to life the illustrated chapter book, which was also from the then-newly established Heritage cultures and creatures of . published under the First Time Writers Industry Incentive Programme (Hi2P). Perhaps best known for introducing & Illustrators Publishing Initiative. “So Puteh, a precocious little Nonya, to I decided to write about something that “I did the proposal, wrote the synopses audiences in Singapore and abroad, I know, which is my Peranakan heritage, and planned what we wanted to do with Ms Foo made her debut in the heritage and it has to be a picture book, because the books and how to market them,” scene in 2008 with a quartet of illustrated the flavours of the culture are so colourful recounts Ms Foo, who found the process children’s books about Peranakan life. and vibrant.” similar to what she did during her advertising days. “It was not unlike doing The four titles – The Beaded Slippers, The seed was sown, but it was a a marcoms plan for a client!” The Kitchen God, Chilli Padi and The serendipitous encounter that sparked the Amulet – offer charming and colourful idea for one of the first two books in Ms “Nobody had any idea if these books accounts of Puteh’s adventures as she Foo’s Peranakan series. “It actually started would sell,” says Ms Foo of the explores her family’s home and history, with a snippet about the Kitchen God that uncertainties she faced then. “But celebrates traditional festivals and enjoys I came across in the library,” she recalls. because it was one of the first ten projects scrumptious Peranakan treats. A sleeper “I read about the Kitchen God that’s that got the funding, there was a lot of hit with both parents and young readers, worshipped a few days before the Lunar publicity. The media was interested and it the books have travelled all the way to New Year. People would pray to the god was quite refreshing for them to see that the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany and and try to bribe him by sweetening his children’s books can also be funded. Also, Singapore Day in Melbourne. mouth with honey and hopefully he will the Peranakan community has been very rise to heaven to report on the family he’s supportive – they have been buying and A mother with three children, aged 4, watching over favourably.” the books are doing quite well.” By March 6 and 9, Ms Foo has nearly 15 years of 2010, the four Peranakan books have sold experience in advertising and public “When I read that I was thinking: it’s so an estimated 8,000 copies in total. relations. Her plunge into the world of funny! What would a kid think? Would a children’s books came in 2006 when she kid think that it’s true and really believe Ms Foo also heaps praise on her received a First Time Writers & Illustrators it?” Thus emerged Puteh’s adventures illustrator, Lee Kowling, for the books’ Publishing Initiative Award1 to pen a series in The Kitchen God, in which the young enduring depictions of Puteh and her on the native of Singapore. “After Nonya tries to cover up her naughty antics home. “The artist is not Peranakan, so that I went on no-pay leave to spend more by silencing the deity and ends up nearly she had to do a lot of research,” she time with my kids,” she told BeMUSE, burning down her grandmother’s kitchen. explains. Using references loaned by the adding that her decision to juggle writing museum and the Peranakan Association, and homemaking has the full support of Later, in The Beaded Slippers, a pair of Ms Foo weaved stories around actual her employers. “My bosses see that I have magical slippers transports Puteh to artefacts such as shoes, furniture and a passion for writing,” she said. the past, where she learns how her jewellery that would be on display, while grandmother spent her youth and the artist recreated settings based on “There are so many children’s books out the rituals and artefacts involved in a archival photos. “In fact, one of the there,” Ms Foo observes. “But a local one, Peranakan wedding. For Ms Foo, the scenes was illustrated from a picture of a and one peculiar to a certain culture, is account is a case of art mimicking life, bedroom featured in Peter Lee’s book2 on not really available. And to encourage a as the book is dedicated to her own the architecture of a Peranakan house,” mom to spend her money, your books grandmother, who was nicknamed ‘Puteh’ reveals Ms Foo. “When [Mr Lee] saw the must appeal to a certain niche and offer a for her fair complexion. “In Peranakan book, he was quite amazed.” unique selling point in advertising jargon. culture, we use a lot of nicknames,” she So I focus on what I know best, like native remarks with a laugh. “My grandfather The result clearly appealed to both Ms animals and Peranakan culture.” is called Itam (‘black’ in Baba Malay), Foo and her readers. “Mothers prefer a so Puteh has a friend who is darker and style that is more organic, back to basics Not too long ago, few children’s books nicknamed Itam.” and less computerised,” she remarks. featured local heritage. One notable “The artist is a veteran in the field of exception that Ms Foo recalls fondly is Armed with these stories, Ms Foo illustration using water colour and her Samsui Girl by Ho Lee-Ling, which is convinced the National Heritage Board style sits very well with parents.” about a young girl who learns what it is that the books would complement As a result, the author-artist partnership like to be a Samsui girl for a day. “I read the activities and galleries of the then- is continuing with Ms Foo’s next line-up her book and found that it was a unique unfinished Peranakan Museum. Excited of heritage-theme children’s books. “It way of presenting the historical aspects by the possibilities, the museum’s team was a no-brainer,” quips Ms Foo, who is

84 APRIL - JUNE 2010 Ms Adeline Foo sharing stories from her books with students of United World College of East Campus, 2010. now seeking inspiration in the Singapore tickled pink by one episode in Chen’s life. At the same time, Ms Foo is working on Art Museum’s collection of art by “She used to travel to many countries, her next book in the Singapore’s pioneer Singapore’s pioneering Nanyang artists. and there would be people writing to artist series, which will focus on Cheng Puteh returns, now older and wiser, in her from these countries. She lived in Soo Pieng (1917 - 1983), while Georgette’s the first title of the series, Georgette’s a Siglap house where the postbox was Mooncakes is being translated to Chinese. Mooncakes, which charts the origins of the quite accessible, so naughty children She also hopes that her books will find Mid-Autumn Festival through the works would steal her letters, tear off the stamps an audience beyond Singapore. “I would of Georgette Chen (1906 - 1993), one and throw the letters back. So she was very much like to see that happen, so that of the founders of the Nanyang style of complaining about letters that had all whatever we write is not just constrained painting3. their stamps torn off – I found it so to learning about our own quirky!” cultures but about telling the world out there what we have to offer.” “I was quite attracted “It’s quite amazing when you hear the to Georgette Chen’s voices of all these people who have Citing the example of Mem Fox, an life,” states Ms Foo. passed on,” sighs Ms Foo. “Till today, award-winning Australian children’s I enjoy reading historical anecdotes, author, Ms Foo observes that when Fox “She is the first woman especially those that capture what life was started writing, “her publishers told her [in Singapore] who’s a like in the past. I am quite a kaypoh!” It’s nobody wanted to read about koalas and successful artist and a love she is trying to share with her two kangaroos, but 50 years on, her books are younger children. “My oldest kid thinks well accepted all over the world.” It’s a she had no children, so I it’s boring, but my younger kids are more change of heart that Ms Foo believes will was wondering how her receptive to going to the museum and come in time. “I think people would want life was like. She was having fun, because I started them earlier to read about what Singapore has and this when they were two to four.” But even her culture that is unique to this part of the a very well-respected oldest child can’t resist the interactive world.” teacher, so her whole exhibits and e-platforms installed in the galleries. Endnotes: life was surrounded by 1. The First-Time Writers & Illustrators Publishing Initiative is an initiative by the children – students and “I think the way forward to packaging Media Development Authority and the painters – so maybe she history is to use new technology,” she National Book Development Council of opines. “You can’t escape that. Books are Singapore to nurture new talents in the has a story to tell.” publishing industry. For more information, for very young kids because you want to please visit: www.bookcouncil.sg/_publishing/ encourage them to read, but once they are In the book, readers observe the artist FTWIPI2009.php 12 onwards, if anything, I would use films through the eyes of Puteh and a friend, 2. to tell a story.” Thus, Ms Foo is seeking to Peter Lee & Jennifer Chen, 1998. who serve as her apprentices. “At the end Rumah Baba: Life in a Peranakan House, boost her craft with a Masters in Dramatic of the story, she has a reflection where she Singapore: National Heritage Board, Writing at the New York University’s Tisch yearns for a family and togetherness, and Singapore History Museum. School of the Arts Asia. “I am working on she finds that in her two students,” says 3. a screenplay right now,” she reveals. “The The Nanyang Style refers to the art practised Ms Foo of the relationship she imagines by a group of post-war artists in Singapore idea that started me off was a historical the artist forges with her young charges. who combined techniques from Chinese anecdote in the newspapers about a pictorial traditions and the School of Paris group of cabaret women who set up a movement. ‘Nanyang’ means Southern Seas Betraying a childlike fascination with school for orphans.” in Chinese, and the artists usually depicted personal nuggets that escape academic subjects from Southeast Asian cultures and attention, Ms Foo shares how she was scenes. APRIL - JUNE 2010 85