Authors don't often get a chance to revisit old titles... and woe to any author who starts spotting sentences you wished you had phrased differently, or thinking about story endings you wished you had taken.
When Armour Publishing invited me to revise Stacey Goes to the National Museum, I leapt at the chance to update the story. The PLAY@NMS area at the National Museum which is mentioned in the ending of the book has since become defunct. I had always known that mentioning PLAY@NMS would date the book. However as the title had been produced in collaboration with the Museum, I had included that as an ending.
James and I felt that the integrity of the story was important to maintain in the revised edition. This title is still a popular choice at school visits, and the kids have helped me see what aspects of the story excites them. The cheeky gibbon character that plays the role of the tour guide in the story is something that arrests their imagination.
So, what has changed then in this new edition? The story already featured important artefacts in Singapore's history, so I did not feel that required any change. Without giving away any spoilers, there is a new ending (sort of), and some new illustrations (see the sneak peek above!), among a sprinkling of editorial changes in the text here and there. I hope you enjoy this New Edition like the first one!
It is available for purchase at Armour Publishing's website at this time, but should be hitting the bookstores soon.