Literary agent Kelly Sonnack has linked a Singaporean author with a publisher in the United States, in what may be the first time that a children's book originally published in Singapore has been bought by a US publisher for further printing and distribution.

 

Sonnack works for the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in southern California, which the Los Angeles Times called 'the most powerful literary agency on the West Coast.'

 

The agency recently took on children's author Jin Pyn, whose first book, The Elephant and the Tree, has garnered acclaim from Singapore's Media Development Authority and National Book Development Council.

 

The Straits Times called the book, 'a rare new classic...where wit and playfulness and heartache leap from the beautifully illustrated pages all at once.''

 

The Elephant and the Tree is simply illustrated in black and green. It is a graceful story with an environmental and conservation message. Thanks to Sonnack's work at the agency, the book will continue to be sold in Singapore, at bookshops like Popular, and will now be sold around the world. If you would like to read more about the book, you can access the link here.