Secrets of Singapore: Changi Airport

“Changi Airport has always had a special connection with the young ones—from toddlers who run freely through the terminals with their parents, to teenagers who seek calm and focus as they study at the airport. A fun and engaging read, this book takes young readers on a deeper journey of learning and discovery about the airport they are so familiar with. Through interesting stories, anecdotes and simple explanations of how things work, these fun-filled pages pack a wealth of insights about aviation in Singapore. Entertaining and highly educational at the same time.”
—Lee Seow Hiang, chief executive of Changi Airport Group

“There must have been many books written about Changi Airport. This is probably the first written specially for children, yet it is a serious story on what makes Changi ticks, especially things that happen behind the scenes. An easy-to-read, interesting book which contains many nuggets of fascinating facts and figures about the airport. I am sure it would appeal to not only children but also inquisitive adults!”
—Wong Woon Liong, senior adviser of Changi Airport Group, and former director-general of Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

“A light-hearted yet comprehensive look at all things aviation in Singapore. Packed with fun facts and behind-the-scenes nuggets of the aviation ecosystem, this book will pique the interest of young aviators.”
—Kevin Shum, director-general of Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

Monica Lim and Lesley-Anne Tan are a mother-and-daughter writing team. Monica Lim is the mother and Lesley-Anne Tan is the daughter, although sometimes their roles seem reversed. Lesley-Anne eats her veggies and occasionally has to force Monica to do the same. She’s weird that way. (“No, I’m not!” says Lesley-Anne). Monica runs her own writing business, has a blog on education and published a book in October 2013 entitled The Good, the Bad and the PSLE. Lesley-Anne is still in school so she mostly writes essays and papers, which isn’t quite as fun.

Secrets of Singapore is their third writing project together, after Danger Dan and Gadget Girl and the first Danger Dan series. The idea for the character Danny came about from their experience living with a highly imaginative little boy obsessed with superheroes and comics. If Lesley-Anne could have a super power, she would choose the ability to stop time, so that she can finish studying for her exams and writing books in no time at all. Monica’s preferred super power is mind control, so that she can make Lesley-Anne stop dreaming about time freezes and get back to work.

Elvin Ching works as an illustrator and storyboard artist in Singapore. He is the illustrator of several Danger Dan and Gadget Girl books and all of the Secrets of Singapore series; his cover for Secrets of Singapore: National Museum won best children’s book cover at the Popular Reader’s Choice Awards 2017. In his free time, he likes to create his own little comics. His short stories have been published in the Eisner-nominated comics anthology Liquid City. He has also illustrated trading cards for Marvel, comics for the Pangu series of books by Martha Keswick and a comic book series written by Kelly Bender. Elvin has too many comic books at home. He has so many comics that there are some he hasn’t even found time to read yet!