神奇的按钮 The Mysterious Button

“No one will protect what they don't care about;
and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”
― David Attenborough

If we'd like our kids to want to protect the richness of our natural heritage, we need to teach them about our local wildlife, learn about it together, and let them experience nature in various ways! 

This book is a combination of things we love at My Story Treasury - Mandarin, Singlit and nature.

Nini and Dongdong are good friends who love to play together. At the playground, they found a toy with a mysterious button. Curiosity led Nini to press it, which transported them to a strange place with unexpected furry friends, with a story to share.

We learn about the effects of pollution and the importance of doing our part to protect the environment.

My 4-year-old daughter's favourite page is the part where the animals appear at the door to say hello - cuteness overload! Her heart always melts when she sees the beautiful and adorable animal drawings.

My favourite page has to be beautiful scene of the animals thriving in nature, against the backdrop of our city skyline, near the end of the book. It's really heartwarming and inspires us to do our part to protect our local wildlife and environment.

Why we love this book:

• Heartwarming illustrations
• Features local wildlife eg White-Throated Kingfisher, Smooth-coated Otter, wild boar and oriental Pied Hornbill
• Includes scenes and items that are relatable for local kids, eg playground, Tamagotchi-shaped toy, HDB flats
• Comes with Hanyu Pinyin aid

Be sure to check out the super adorable and funny readers by the same author and illustrator - 神奇书店系列 Magical Bookstore Graded Readers (Set of 3)!

MST Conversation starters:

• What are some ways in which people pollute the environment?
• How can we protect the environment?
• What are some of our local wildlife? Where have you seen them before?

Possible Extension activities:

• Visit https://www.ourwildneighbours.sg/ to read more about our local wildlife! There are lots of cool facts, pictures, info on their diet etc to check out.
• Visit a park and have a picnic, just like in the book - and see what kinds of wildlife are around us
• Check out the book illustrator Cybil Kho's other works at https://www.stubbycarrot.com/

Recommended for Ages: 4-10
Pages: 32
Format: Softcover
Language: Simplified Chinese with Hanyu Pinyin
Author: 钱冰韵 Qian Bingyun
Illustrator: 许炜玲 Cybil Kho