EMILY LIM-LEH & NICHOLAS LIEM - MARKY POLO IN SINGAPORE - REVIEW
Published under World Scientific Education, the Marky Polo’s Travels series is a wonderful way for youngsters to explore Asia in a fun, bright, educational and highly interactive fashion. In previous volumes of Marky Polo's Travels, the books' creators, Emily Lim-Leh and Nicholas Liem, have taken their adorable main character on trips to Tokyo and Beijing. This latest instalment however, sees Marky Polo and his friends exploring the country of Singapore. Traditional childrens' publishing meets augmented reality in an exciting new title with more than a few surprises.
Marky is an adventurous young pangolin who is descended from the proud Polo family, the history of which readers can learn about at the start of each book. He looks to find his place in the world by travelling and learning new things, and his destination this time around is Singapore. Along with his friend Merli and their other curious explorer pals, Marky visits famous landmarks, embarks on adventures, fine-dines on local dishes and learns a great deal about the country and its people along the way.
Each page of Marky Polo in Singapore is a treasure trove of information and wonderful imagery. In cartoonish, yet factually accurate illustrations, readers can observe fascinating locations of this particular country such as Jewel Changi Airport, Canopy Park, the Sultan Mosque, Palawan Beach and a great deal more. Alongside each of these illustrations are a collection of facts and historical pointers which are clearly written to contextualise what readers are seeing in the book. In the midst of these informative references, Marky Polo and the gang continue their playful adventure and add a prevailing sense of wonderment that brings this journey of learning fully to life for young readers. The book’s final page also contains real-life facts about some of the animals depicted in the story, for an extra bit of educational enjoyment, and clarity to the pleasant characters that occupy this adventure.
While Marky Polo in Singapore is a functional children's book of its own accord, there is even more for keen readers to behold. Those with access to the SnapLearn app can add a brand new dimension to the interaction they have with this title. Once key sections of the pages are scanned, the app displays the pages but now as virtual pieces of multimedia. The text of the book is brought to life in recorded voices, and the characters move about like animated figures in a video or TV show. These elements allow Marky Polo in Singapore to immediately become something more than a book, but rather an interactive experience that leaps out at you from the page.
Young readers, ages 3-8, for whom Marky Polo's Travels are aimed, are sure to be thrilled by this element of the book alone. But Marky Polo in Singapore really is the sum of its parts. The book’s writer, Emily Lim-Leh has an extensive and impressive catalogue of children's books, dating as far back as 2007, when her debut book, Prince Bear & Pauper Bear won Singapore's First Time Writers and Illustrators Publishing Initiative. Since that time, she has also won prizes in the Moonbeam Children's Awards, The Writer's Digest Honorable Mention Award, The Scholastic Asian Picture Book Award and many more. Her titles have reached audiences across Asia and beyond, with publications being created in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, China and Slovakia. Teaming with Emily for this particular series is Singapore-based illustrator Nicholas Liem, who has experience in marketing and architecture but also pursues children’s illustration as a passion. As with Emily, Marky Polo is just the latest in a list of published titles, and his exceptional talent for art and detail, brings perfectly to life the imagination and storytelling of his author colleague.
Emily Lim-Leh’s journey as an author is also one of triumph over adversity, as she was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphoria, a condition which severely affects the voice muscles, and caused Emily to lose her voice completely. Her 2011 book, Finding My Voice, covers this difficult chapter of her life, and how she was able to find a new voice in the form of writing.
It’s possible that these experiences in life and in publishing have contributed to make Marky Polo in Singapore such a marvellous and vibrant title. Alongside the interactive education that this latest book provides, there is a genuine sense of heart, respect and understanding that accompanies the journey. The team of adventurous animals serve as three-dimensional characters who learn to get along and find the very best out of themselves and each other, in order to grow as bigger and better people for the future. This is the perfect life-lesson for young readers, wherever in the world they are.
Marky Polo in Singapore is a triumphant and thoroughly entertaining book that perfectly compliments the technical achievement of augmented reality to give its audience the best and most thrilling learning experience possible. It is also an incredibly entertaining story with lots of relatable antics that make children truly invested as they learn. Emily Lim-Leh and Nicholas Liem are the perfect tour guides to take young readers across Asia, and provide an intricate and unforgettable schooling that grows deeper with every page. Wherever the young reader in your life is seeking fun or learning, the Marky Polo’s Travels series is not one to be missed, and here’s hoping more titles in this range will appear in the not-too-distant future.
You can order your copy of Marky Polo in Singapore at The World Scientific website here.
