Squirky is a blue alien who sets out to space with his adoptive sister in search of his birth parents. The plot is almost unheard of in the children’s books genre especially in this region, where adoption is a topic rarely discussed. But author, Melanie Lee hopes that through Squirky’s journey to self-discovery, parents will be able to talk openly on the subject with their little ones. In fact, she wrote a series of picture books for her young son, Christian whom she and her husband adopted few years ago.
“This story is my way of letting him know that should there come a day when he wants to find out more about his origins and birth parents, we will support his search,” she writes on the website for the series.
According to the Singapore-based author, Squirky can be an inspiration to “any kid who has questions and seeks answers will, like Squirky, realise that any form of exploration is riddled with challenges, and it is only by overcoming these hurdles that you discover who you truly are as a person.”
Why Am I Blue is the first of the six-volume book series of The Adventures of Squirky, the Alien and the second book, What Happened to Planet Q? was released November, last year by MPH Group Publishing. The books are currently available at MPH Bookstores in Malaysia and MPHonline.com for RM19.90.
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