Eleven-year-old Ying Xiong’s name means ‘hero’. And that’s what he wants to be. But what’s the best way to be a hero?
Ying Xiong finds it hard to navigate through his troubled growing-up years in 1950s Singapore. He has an absent father who left him for his home village in China. His mother has little time for him as she slogs hard all day to support their family. At first, he looks up to his Silat Road neighbour Dave, a mild police inspector who likes to harp on about the value of exercising patience and self-control. Then, an impressive senior officer John Wei turns up in his rough neighbourhood and shows him what it’s like to take action and get things done. When Xiong runs into a series of difficulties, he is bewildered about who he wishes to emulate and the kind of person he wants to become. As he stumbles through his choices and the paths to take, Xiong discovers what it means to be a real hero.
Little Hero’s Wish is a work of fiction inspired by real events from the childhood years of the author’s father in 1950s Singapore. It follows from Xiong’s journey in the award-winning and bestselling Little Hero, inspired by the author’s family’s lived experiences in post-war 1940s Singapore.
Published: Aug/2025
ISBN: 9789815351019
Length: 120 Pages
