Touch Wood!

Written and Illustrated by Sarah Lim Xi-Yin
hardcover

“No wood?" she scoffed. "That can't be true."
And so we toured my house anew,
from entryway to kitchenette.
Soon my friend began to sweat.

Join Ashley on a mad dash around her friend’s bizarre house, in an attempt to touch some wood!

Aimed at 6-10 year-olds, Touch Wood! is a wickedly silly, fun-filled story about Ashley, a
superstitious girl who is trying to take back some unlucky words she uttered while studying at her friend’s house.

“Touch wood!” she cries out, frantically looking around for something made of wood. But try as she might, there’s nothing in the house (can you recognise the HDB flat?) that is made of wood... Can she thwart an impending bout of bad luck? Is there any hope?

Written in fun, rhyming verse, kids and their adults will enjoy reading this silly story out loud. Bright and wacky illustrations will surely make readers laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Meanwhile, learn about the different superstitions Ashley believes in, from strictly wearing the colour red to donning pomegranate leaves in her hair. See how many superstitions you can recognise and how many you have yet to discover!

If in doubt, simply check Ashley’s Guide at the back of the book for a rundown of all the superstitions referenced in her story. Readers will also encounter a whole host of non-
wooden materials, including glass, fabric, plastic, and more!

Hopefully, this will spark in young readers a curiosity for what things are made of. What about your chairs, your bookshelves? What are they made of? Probably not fiberglass and dinosaurs, but there may be some objects made of unusual things to be explored in your own home too.