About "Where is Dan?"

Why write books?

Curious Thoughts Academy was founded on the belief that literacy is a life-long skill that will impact our lives greatly and as such, reading should be a fun, enjoyable activity for all to partake in. The founder of Curious Thoughts Academy, Lydia Lok, wrote "Where is Dan?" as she believes that children books are an important (though often overlooked) tool that can impart many life lessons.

“Where is Dan?” is a great 35-paged fully-illustrated picture storybook for children collaborated between Lydia Lok and Joycelyn Wong. "Where is Dan?" talks about themes of independence, self-reliance and diversity. The book also appeared on national radio discussing the important themes that appeared in the book. 

“Where is Dan” is now used in schools for teaching children character building and is now available throughout major bookstores and national libraries in Singapore. 

What are some of the themes in the book? 

In line with Singapore's national birthday celebration as it turned 50 years old, SG50, "Where is Dan? A Singapore story about belonging" seeks to tell the Singapore story because there is a severe dearth of children’s storybooks that teaches about Singapore’s independence, self-reliance and diversity. Through the eyes of unique local food ingredients, this story aims to raise awareness on how we managed to foster a sense of belonging to this young nation despite limited resources, within a short span of time.

The book draws parallels to Singapore's story and attempts to help children understand our history with fun food characters. The story is set in a kitchen island called Jua which is situated in the middle of the kitchen, flanked by its neighbouring kitchen counters; just like how Singapore is a small island surrounded by larger neighbours like Malaysia and Indonesia. In reading the story to children, parents and teachers can link the story to Singapore's environment.

About the Author and Illustrator

 Lydia Lok

Lydia is the writer of “Where is Dan?” and this is her first book. In the day, she is passionately involved with start-ups and social enterprises; while at night she tries to be a productive writer. In her former life, she was a government servant who dealt with policies regarding social issues and businesses.

Lydia lives in Singapore with a fluffy Sheltie named Lemon and a non-fluffy husband named Shuohan.

Joycelyn Wong

Being an artist and illustrator who enjoys exploring creative applications for her drawing, Joycelyn acquires inspiration through sharing with others. Her previous work experiences include working as a graphic designer and an art educator at secondary level.

She has worked on projects, specially commissioned by Food Republic, Act 3 International, All Things N’ice, Gracesmiths, Passion Arts, and Community Clubs to produce artworks and murals.