We’ve always been fans of Armour Publishing’s books for young readers, and our favourites include Ranger Anne (Set 1, Set 2, and Set 3), Timmy & Tammy (Discover Series: LKY, Discover Series: Singapore’s Wildlife Wonders, Guide to Primary One, Set 4 etc), as well as Couchie. Thus, we were thrilled to receive ‘The Saga Tree’, which is the first of six books in the Nature Playtime Series.
The Nature Playtime Series tells of how a grandmother Popo, bonds with her granddaughter Emma, through various old games that she used to play. Children these days have many different types of toys to play with, in contrast with children from Popo’s time, who made do with whatever they could find, such as seeds, flowers, and leaves of plants, so Emma is fascinated by Popo’s stories.
Ready to read The Saga Tree together
N was very eager to read this book, and thought that it was “so cool” that the tree’s seeds could be used to play games. Since then, he’s been examining various fallen fruits that we’ve come across, and asking if they can be eaten, or if he can play with them. Unfortunately, I’m really not well-versed in such things, so I’ve been making him throw them away instead, because I’m afraid that the twins will try eating them if I let N bring the fruits home.
The Saga Tree
We haven’t been able to find any saga trees here in Jakarta, but I think it’s great that there’s an online map of the saga trees in Singapore. I didn’t know there were so many such trees all over Singapore, and I’ll definitely try to bring N to look for some saga seeds during our June trip back to Singapore.
Both of us also particularly enjoyed reading the fun facts page, and N was keen to try out the various activities listed too. We went out to collect leaves and sticks for the contest at the back of the book, and insisted on working on it before going to bed. He rearranged the materials so many times, before deciding on the final product! We will mail it out when we get back to Singapore, and he kept telling me that he really wants to win, even though he doesn’t even know what the prize is. Haha. I guess at this age, he’s just really into the concept of winning?
Fun facts and activities
Working on the craft for the contest
His intended layout
The final product
The story itself is simple, yet heartwarming, as it shows how grandparents can connect with their grandchildren, despite being from different generations. The games that Popo shared are timeless, and I think it’s good to be able to find joy in the simple things, don’t you agree? The text is easy enough for a kindergartener to read on his own, and N liked the colourful illustrations as well. I found it a little sad at the end, when Emma asked Popo if her “number” (age) will be 100 like the tree, and Popo gently told her that it probably wouldn’t. I wasn’t quite prepared for that bit, and was quite thankful that N didn’t ask me why Popo wouldn’t live till 100, because it will probably end up in some deep conversation which I’m definitely not ready to have with him yet.
I’m really looking forward to the other books in this Nature Playtime Series, as I would love to introduce N to some trees and plants that he isn’t familiar with. The second book, Nature Playtime Series: Touch-Me-Nots, is scheduled to be released at the end of June, so hopefully, we can get a copy of it before we return to Jakarta. I remember playing with touch-me-nots when I was younger, and the kids played with some too when we came across some in Plataran Borobudur, so I think it would be a fun book to read together.
Happy reading!
******* BUY THE BOOK
‘The Saga Tree’ is available online from Armour Publishing HERE (Don’t forget to use the discount code below!) and also in major bookshops such as Kinokuniya, Popular, and Times Bookstores.
SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR READERS OF GROWING WITH THE TANS!
Get 20% off your copy of ‘The Saga Tree’ when you use the discount code ‘SAGA2018’ on the Armour Publishing website. This discount code is valid for only two weeks, from today, 11th May 2018 to 25th May 2018, so place your order quickly!
PS. Don’t forget to check out the other Armour Publishing titles that we’ve reviewed and loved, such as Ranger Anne, Timmy & Tammy, and Couchie.
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