26/07/2026
This evening's Storytime turned out to be a little different—and a very special one.
I had a last-minute trip to Miri this weekend, and thankfully, Dorina kindly agreed to take over the session. Knowing that Storytime could continue even when I wasn't around gave me so much peace of mind. After all, our Storytime has always been about the community, not about one person.
As it turned out, our trip ended earlier than expected, and we managed to make it back just in time. It was such a rare and precious opportunity for me to simply sit back, relax, and be a listener. I truly enjoyed experiencing Storytime from the other side.
Faith kicked off the evening by spontaneously sharing the story of Coco—without a book! She confidently retold the story from memory and even sang some of the songs she mentioned along the way. It was such a delightful surprise and showed how stories can live in our hearts long.
Dalinda then shared I'm Sorry. It led to a wonderful discussion among both the children and the adults about what it means to be a good friend. The answers were all different. Some thought a good friend is someone who shares the same interests. Others believed a good friend is someone who listens to your advice. There wasn't a right or wrong answer, but it reminded us that friendship means different things to different people.
So, what do you think?
What makes someone a good friend?
Faith then returned to share another story, this time reading aloud from her Zootopia storybook. It was lovely to see her becoming more confident each time she stands in front to share.
To end the evening, Dorina introduced a picture book titled I'm Not Cute! Before opening the book, she simply showed everyone the cover and asked, "Who do you think this character is? Is it cute?" The children eagerly acted out the expressions and poses shown on the endpapers, filling the pavilion with laughter before the story had even begun. As the story unfolded, we discovered that things weren't always what they seemed. A fox looked like a dog, a squirrel resembled a kangaroo, and many other animals looked completely different from what we expected. The unexpected illustrations had both the children and adults laughing together throughout the story.
Although our group was smaller this evening, it made the gathering feel even more intimate. After Storytime, we all sat in a circle and enjoyed the freshly baked cupcakes lovingly prepared by Elaine Ting. With most of the children being older, our little tea break was calm, relaxing, and filled with easy conversations.
Dalinda had also brought along a cooking play set, and before long, the children—and even our adult storyteller—were happily immersed in imaginative role play together. It was a beautiful reminder that play has no age limit.
Of course, before heading home, the children couldn't resist one last game of chasing each other around the park. Some traditions simply can't be skipped.
As we chatted, we also found ourselves talking about several of our story friends whom we haven't seen in quite some time. We truly miss all of you.
We hope August will be a month of reunion, with familiar faces returning and perhaps a few new ones joining us too. After all, Storytime is always a little warmer when our community gathers together.