READ & REVIEWED: Strange Morning in Merlion Town + Giveaway

Strange Morning in Merlion Town by Ling Yuan is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland reimagined with a Singaporean twist.

A boy is riding the MRT with his mum when he spots an otter lugging a suitcase. Things get even stranger when the otter drops his phone, and the boy chases after him to return it, only to be pulled into a strange world full of talking animals and quirks of Singapore life. Along the way, he teaches Singlish, volunteers at a Meet-the-MP session, and even gets accused of a crime. Will he clear his name, find the otter, and most importantly, make it back home?

Strange Morning in Merlion Town by Ling Yuan is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland reimagined with a Singaporean twist. Instead of being swept away in a pool of tears, the protagonist is washed away in a bandung flood. Instead of the Mad Hatter, you have the Mad Tutor. And in place of card soldiers, you get kueh officers 😄

In the imaginative story are references many of us in Singapore would chuckle at, like kiasu-ism, tissue chope-ing and our penchant for queues. Some of the nods like BTOs, Meet-the-MP sessions and office culture might be more familiar to adults, but it’s a fun way to introduce kids to these topics. I also appreciate the lovely illustrations by @dumplyn_house , especially the kueh officers with their lanyards and dark shades 😆 Overall, this is a fun and whimsical read that celebrates all things Singapore.

I’d recommend this middle grade Singlit for kids aged 8-12. The book is nominated in the 2026 Hedwig Anuar Children's Book Award and is available at all good bookstores! Thank you, Ling Yuan, for sending me a review copy and the sweet message inside! Thanks to the author, we’ve got a copy of Strange Morning in Merlion Town to give away! Do hop over to my Instagram post for a chance to win😉

Disclaimer: The book was provided by the author for our review. As always, all opinions are ours.

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