Spice Kids: Star Anise, Superstar!

In Star Anise, Superstar!, Star Anise dreams of being a star. But nobody seems to notice her, so she sets off in search of stardom. Star Anise reminds me so much of Anya! Sometimes Anya comes home from school and complains that so-and-so didn’t want to play with her. At other times, she complains that her brothers are getting more attention than she is. My firstborn loves attention and wants to be in the spotlight. She gets annoyed if she thinks she is being ignored and starts acting up or trying too hard to attract attention. When I read this book with her, we talked about what it meant to be a star in other people’s eyes and how she could shine in a positive manner.

A heartwarming tale with several positive messages for children, Star Anise, Superstar! is about allowing your personality to shine through without sticking out like a sore thumb or rubbing others the wrong way. It is also about being brave and looking out for your friends. The illustrations are very charming and you can get the book in English & Mandarin or English & Malay. I have to admit that I struggled a bit with the Mandarin version but I’m glad the kids ‘forced’ me to read it in both languages because certain aspects of the story really come alive when read in Mandarin.

Star Anise, Superstar! is the first title of The Asian Spice Kids series by Linn Shekinah. The Asian Spice Kids series is a collection of five pre-school bilingual picture books, sponsored by the Ministry of Education’s Lee Kuan Yew Bilingualism Fund. Recommended for ages 4-8. I’m really looking forward to reading the next four titles in the series! You can get this book (the English & Mandarin version) from Flip for Joy for $16.50.