Ravi and the Runaway Roti
Paperback picture book · ages 4–7 · price shown is for a single copy
A cheeky prata leaps off the griddle and races through a Singapore neighbourhood — a giggly, homegrown chase that smells of breakfast and belonging.
Why we love it
A homegrown story should feel like the child's own street, and this one does. When a freshly tossed roti prata springs off the griddle at the corner kopitiam, young Ravi chases it past the wet market, through a void deck and up an overhead bridge while aunties, uncles and one very interested cat join the pursuit. It is built for laughter and for the proud jolt of recognition a Singapore child feels seeing their world on the page.
We love stocking it because representation in a picture book is quietly powerful. The food, the flats, the cadence of the talk — they tell a child that stories happen here, not only in faraway castles, and that their everyday is worth a book. The humour is broad and physical, perfect for reading aloud with silly voices, and the repeating "catch that roti!" refrain pulls an emerging reader into joining in.
It is a sturdy paperback with bright, busy illustrations that reward a second and third look — there is always one more hidden joke. It sits at the heart of our Homegrown SG corner alongside stories in Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, and it makes a brilliant gift for friends overseas who want a taste of home for their little ones. Recommended from four; younger ones will happily be read to.
In this edition
- Paperback, 36 pages
- Glossary of local food words
- Read-aloud refrain guide
- Author note on growing up in SG
- Free kraft gift wrap if you choose it
Reads well with
- Homegrown SG sticker sheet+S$6
