Tiger Tales: Almost True Animal Stores from Old Singapore

Over a century ago, much of Singapore was covered in jungle and encounters with animals were not uncommon for those who lived there.

This delightful collection of seven almost-true animal stories brings back to life actual, documented events that happened in 19th century Singapore – from a perplexing rain of fish and a conundrum with tapirs, to the dramatic story of the tiger under the billiard room at the famous
Raffles Hotel. Along the way, readers also meet a cast of colourful (and real!) characters from Singapore’s past — such as Colonel William Farquhar, the First Resident of Singapore; Zheng He, the famous Ming Dynasty admiral;and Charles Phillips, the school principal who marchesinto these pages in his pyjamas and saves the day.

These stories are retold in lyrical, storytelling narrative and are lusciously illustrated by Chloe Chang, winner of the 2024 Illustrator of the Year Award in Singapore.

All the flora and fauna depicted have been painstakingly researched and are based on real
creatures indigenous to Singapore. They are brought to life in captivating detail, offering children a different and exciting perspective on history, and a pictorial introduction to Singapore’s biodiversity.