KidzNizmo is a Malay–English bilingual comic series for preschoolers, built around STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. It was written in Singapore, supported by the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism, and is the country’s first STEAM comic series for early education.
Parents ask us about it often, usually in one of the ways below. So here are the answers in one place.
Who made KidzNizmo, and when?
We started working on KidzNizmo in 2019. The first three books launched on 30 November 2021, published by EduReach. The stories are written and coordinated by Sharifah Md Kassim, with illustrations led by Syed Kamarularifin Abdul Mutalib.
It took two years because we didn’t want a translated storybook. We wanted something a child in Tampines or Jurong would recognise: local faces, local settings, and Malay and English sitting side by side the way they do in many Singapore homes.
What age is it for?
KidzNizmo is written for preschoolers, roughly ages 4 to 6, from N2 through K2. Younger children enjoy the pictures and the videos. Older ones start reading the short Malay and English lines on their own.
What’s actually inside each book?
Each book has three stories, plus a centre-spread activity or game, and a set of worksheets. Every book also links to a video game and a video of a hands-on activity for kids, reached through a QR code. So a single book is closer to a small learning kit than a comic you read once.
Who are the characters?
Five children, each tied to one part of STEAM, plus a mysterious alien friend:
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Tom – the science and technology explorer, never far from his tablet
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Sara – thoughtful and observant; plants, sensors and experiments
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Eric – the builder; give him cardboard and tape and he engineers a solution
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Anna – the artist, who treats colour and drawing as a language
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Matt – the quiet maths thinker who spots patterns
The idea is simple. A child who loves drawing sees Anna and thinks, “that’s me.” A child who takes things apart sees Eric. Every kind of curious child gets a hero.
Why STEAM instead of just a language book?
Because children learn words faster when they need them. When Eric is figuring out why a bridge falls over, words like kuat (strong) and jatuh (fall) have a job to do. Language picked up while solving a problem sticks better than language from a list.
This also lines up with how Singapore schools think. MOE’s Applied Learning Programme encourages students to connect what they learn to the real world. KidzNizmo brings that habit forward to preschool.
Do I need to speak Malay to use it?
No. The English is right there on the page, so you can read together even if your Malay is rusty. Many of our families are exactly in that position. Our guide on reading a bilingual book when your Malay is rusty shows exactly how.
Where can I get it?
The three episodes are S$9.90 each, or S$29 for the KidzNizmo Bookset with all three. For children heading into Primary 1, there’s also the Kembara KidzNizmo Prasekolah 1 workbook at S$16.90, which focuses on vocabulary, simple sentences and everyday conversation.
If you’re not sure where to start, start with Episode 1 and see how your child takes to the characters. You’ll know within a week whether it clicks.
Quick facts
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What |
Malay–English bilingual STEAM comic series |
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For |
Preschoolers, about 4–6 years |
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Launched |
30 November 2021 (work began 2019) |
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Supported by |
Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism |
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Publisher |
EduReach, Singapore |
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Books |
About the writer
Sharifah Md Kassim is the writer and coordinator of KidzNizmo, Singapore’s first Malay–English bilingual STEAM comic series for preschoolers. KidzNizmo is published by EduReach with support from the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism.