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Young author brews up new take on Cinderella
By Li Anlan |
December 26, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AS a fifth-grade student, R Santhiya from the British International School Shanghai is already a published author.
Her "Sinderella" is a storybook with colorful illustrations that adds something new to the classic Cinderella fairytale, introducing a dash of teh tarik - an Indian milk tea - to the story.
The book was published this year, after being written as a homework assignment.
"My teacher said if I added a cover and a back page I could just put it in the library," Santhiya says.
Publishing a book was a personal goal for Santhiya, and with help from her parents and school this dream was realized.
This large format storybook, with vivid artwork by the school's secondary art teacher Emma Fordham, adds some fascinating twists to the familiar story.
Santhiya moved to Shanghai with her parents and younger brother from Singapore three years ago and says she loves reading, writing and just anything that's related with books.
Through "Sinderella," Santhiya hopes people can learn a bit more about Singapore.
"Singapore is my home and I know a lot of information about it, so I thought it would be easier to set the story there," she says.
The Cinderella character in Santhiya's story is a 7-year-old girl named Siti from the peaceful and beautiful village of Telok Blangah in Singapore.
After Siti's mother died, her father marries another woman with two daughters. But after her father dies, Siti is left orphaned.
Her wicked stepmother sends her own children to a competition to make teh tarik, which is also popular in Singapore, but makes Siti stay at home.
The winner of the competition is to receive a job and money from the family organizing the competition.
"Siti finds a magic teapot which tells her that it will help her if Siti gives it a cleaner home," says Santhiya. "Siti says OK, and they go to the competition and win. The family adopt her and she works in the shop."
So like Cinderella, "Sinderella" has a happy ending. And Santhiya also hopes her debut book will help other people.
At the school's Christmas fare, Santhiya set up a stall, signed about 50 copies of "Sinderella" and sold them for 100 yuan each (US$16), donating the money to the charity helped by the school.
"I thought it would be nicer to help other people instead of keeping the money myself," she explains.
Santhiya plans to start writing her second book very soon.
Her "Sinderella" is a storybook with colorful illustrations that adds something new to the classic Cinderella fairytale, introducing a dash of teh tarik - an Indian milk tea - to the story.
The book was published this year, after being written as a homework assignment.
"My teacher said if I added a cover and a back page I could just put it in the library," Santhiya says.
Publishing a book was a personal goal for Santhiya, and with help from her parents and school this dream was realized.
This large format storybook, with vivid artwork by the school's secondary art teacher Emma Fordham, adds some fascinating twists to the familiar story.
Santhiya moved to Shanghai with her parents and younger brother from Singapore three years ago and says she loves reading, writing and just anything that's related with books.
Through "Sinderella," Santhiya hopes people can learn a bit more about Singapore.
"Singapore is my home and I know a lot of information about it, so I thought it would be easier to set the story there," she says.
The Cinderella character in Santhiya's story is a 7-year-old girl named Siti from the peaceful and beautiful village of Telok Blangah in Singapore.
After Siti's mother died, her father marries another woman with two daughters. But after her father dies, Siti is left orphaned.
Her wicked stepmother sends her own children to a competition to make teh tarik, which is also popular in Singapore, but makes Siti stay at home.
The winner of the competition is to receive a job and money from the family organizing the competition.
"Siti finds a magic teapot which tells her that it will help her if Siti gives it a cleaner home," says Santhiya. "Siti says OK, and they go to the competition and win. The family adopt her and she works in the shop."
So like Cinderella, "Sinderella" has a happy ending. And Santhiya also hopes her debut book will help other people.
At the school's Christmas fare, Santhiya set up a stall, signed about 50 copies of "Sinderella" and sold them for 100 yuan each (US$16), donating the money to the charity helped by the school.
"I thought it would be nicer to help other people instead of keeping the money myself," she explains.
Santhiya plans to start writing her second book very soon.
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