The Adventures of Squirky #6 – When does the search end? (with Giveaway!)

Finally! The last installment of cult series “The Adventures of Squirky the Alien” arrived in our mailbox. How will the story end??

The girls were familiar with this endearing blue alien by now, and cosied up to read it together. Without giving away too much, I must say the ending was not what I expected! Go get a copy to read the denouement yourself – I thought it was a good way to wrap up the series, since life is a constant journey.

When I asked K how she found it, she gave a very satisfied nod and said she liked the ending – hooray for happy fans!

Personally, I liked how the focus of this book shifted masterfully from the adventure and exploration of earlier books, to Squirky’s inner thoughts and feelings.This book is more reflective, portrays a silent child, and takes time to address the lingering uncertainty and ‘what ifs’ that an adopted child is likely to experience.

When Squirky feels sad, and his daddy and mummy tell him that it’s okay to cry. We all need that assurance, don’t we?

The wonderful thing about this book series is that it’s more than just a good story. It’s a priceless resource for parents and children who are part of the adoption story.

Reading the book together could be the perfect springboard for important conversations about the complex feelings that undergird adoption. Most importantly, this book focuses on what matters, and helps a searching child remember that though there has been loss, there is also much that is precious and beautiful in their lives.

With that, the entire series is a wrap! What a great set of books to get for any child, in introducing them to adoption, especially if they have friends or relatives who are adopted.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Thanks to author Melanie, 2 loyal readers stand to win a copy of “When does the search end?”

To enter, complete all the steps below:

1. Visit LilBlueBottle’s Facebook Page and The Adventures of Squirky Facebook Page (While you’re there, we’d appreciate it a lot if you could “Like” these pages!)
2. Leave a comment on this Facebook post with:
   a) your email address; and
   b) why you’d like to win this.

(It is not required, but we’d appreciate it if you’d share this post on Facebook so that more friends can hear about this cool book and the opportunity to win!)

The giveaway ends on 2359 hrs on 1 June 2016, and the winners will be contacted via email. The usual terms and conditions apply – the winners’ names will subsequently be announced as an update on this blog post. 🙂

[Update: The winners are Andrew Lim and Julie Tan! Warmest congratulations and hope you love the book.]

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There is also a series of events happening from 25-29 May at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content, featuring author Melanie and illustrator David.

Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC)

1. Launch of The Adventures of Squirky the Alien #6: When Does the Search End? [Note: This event is FREE and anyone can come!]
Date: Sun 29 May 2016
Time: 3-3.30pm
Venue: NLB Building, L1 Plaza

2. Squirky author Melanie will be co-presenting a talk on “Being Honest about Difficult Issues with Stories” with NIE Associate Professor Ruth Wong [Note: You will need to have signed up for either the Parents Forum or Preschool & Primary Teachers Congress]
Date: Sun 29 May 2016
Time: 1.15-2.15pm
Venue: NLB Building, L16 The Pod

She will also be moderating two panels discussing themes close to the Squirky book series:

–  ‪#‎weneeddiversebooks‬. Really! [Note: You will need to have signed up for the Writers & Illustrators Conference]
Date: Wed, 25 May
Time: 2-3pm
Venue: L5 Possibility Room

– To S.I.R. (Socially Inclusive Reads) with Love: A socially inclusive picture book for kids, with or without special needs [Note: You will need to have signed up for the Preschool & Primary Teachers Congress]
Date: Sun 29 May 2016
Time: 11.15-12.15pm
Venue: NLB Building, B1 Multipurpose Room

3. Meanwhile, Squirky illustrator David “Wolfe” Liew will also be out and about quite a bit. For those of you inspired by his art, do check out:

– Portfolio Review [Note: You will need to have signed up for the Writers & Illustrators Conference, and submitted your sample art to AFCC]
Date: Fri, 29 May 2016
Time: 10.30am – 12.45pm
Venue: NLB Building, L16 The Pod

– The Fabulour Fear Factor [Note: You will need to have signed up for the Writers & Illustrators Conference.]
Date: Fri 29 May 2016
Time: 10.30-11.30am
Venue: NLB Building, B1 Multipurpose Room

– First Look: Illustration Critique [Note: You will need to have signed up for the Writers & Illustrators Conference, and submitted your sample art to AFCC]
Date: Thurs, 28 May 2016
Time: 3.15-4.15pm
Venue: NLB Building, L5 Imagination Room

Thanks for writing such a great series, Aunty Mel! We love the books and your autographs!

I really enjoyed watching this interview, and if you’d like to hear from Melanie herself, do click ‘play’! *You rock, Mel!*