When the Storyteller Becomes the Student

Nothing prepares you for your first talk at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (especially when Merprince decides to surface).

This was my very first time speaking to an audience this large: 450 Year 1 Early Childhood Development and Education students, not counting their lecturers. I’d written picture books for years as Sherri Eri, but standing before hundreds of future early childhood educators was a new kind of storytelling. This time, the audience was live — and their reactions were immediate. Nerve-wracking!

Why Stories Matter to Tomorrow’s Teachers

These students will soon be choosing stories for preschoolers, reading aloud to them, and helping little ones make sense of their feelings. Picture books will open doors to imagination and language.

If anyone needed to understand why my brand, Picture the Book, exists — why I write stories with rhythm for kids who listen and colour for kids who see — it was them.

From the moment I began speaking, their energy felt warm, open, and curious. Their reactions — and their applause after the song clips — filled me with relief.

The Questions That Leave a Mark

When we opened the floor to questions, I never expected the ones that came my way.

A couple of students asked:

“How would someone with special needs write for little kids with special needs?”

What a brilliant question.

I told them that someone with special needs has lived many of the same experiences. They understand the challenges, strengths, frustrations, and triumphs a special-needs child faces — in a way no amount of reading can teach. It’s an insight you won’t find online — only in the lived experience of someone who’s been there.

The Sweetest Questions of the Morning

Then came lighter questions, the ones that thrilled me.

Once the students learned that my Cool Kitty Series was inspired by my real-life cats, they asked:

• How many cats do you have?
• What are their names?
• How old are they?

I hadn’t expected interest in my feline family at a talk this size. These were small questions, yet so touching. It reminded me that young people connect not only with the stories we tell, but also with the characters in those stories — especially the fur-coated variety.

When Merprince Made an Appearance

Backtracking for a moment… right before the Q&A session, the lecturers helped me flash a slide that said, “What has Merprince got to do with Ngee Ann Polytechnic?”

I shared a fun tidbit about the Merprince character from Mermaid On A Mountaintop:

“When he was 17, Merprince was just like you. He went for classes here at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.”

The students lit up instantly — surprise, delight, and a touch of pride spreading across the room.

Then we played a clip of Mist of My Memory, the love song from Mermaid On A Mountaintop, and Merprince’s smouldering voice filled the lecture theatre.

Their reactions were exhilarating. Still, none of us knew what was coming.

The Unexpected Intermission

After the clip, we launched the Q&A session.

Then a lecturer, Ms Suriati announced, “We’re going to pause for a short commercial break. Remember we talked about Merprince… You know what… the Merprince is here!”

Chaos. Joyful chaos.

Shrieks. Laughter. Gasps.

The Heartwarming Surprise

In walked Jibs, the voice behind Merprince, an Assistant Director from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film and Media Studies. The lecturers had orchestrated his appearance in complete secrecy, even from me.

When someone asked if they could call out “Hi Merprince” should they bump into him, he laughed and said:

“Please don’t call me Merprince in front of my students. They do not know I’ve been singing underwater.”

The theatre dissolved into laughter.

Then he added, “I’m here just to disturb Sherri,” which made all of us laugh some more.

The Lecturers Who Held the Room Together

The lecturers (Deborah, Jane, Amelia, Iryanti, Suriati, Lynette, Mildred, Wendy, and Lily) were extraordinary — warm, supportive, and so perfectly in sync they made the morning feel like a celebration.

Ms Suriati even held my hand throughout the talk to calm my nerves, a kindness I will never forget.

What 450 Students Taught Me

And the students — the heart of the morning — were unforgettable.

Whether they asked about mermaids, special needs, or Cool Kitty’s antics, their sincerity made it easy to connect with all 450 of them.

I wish I could have learned every one of their names.

With future educators like them, I have no doubt our little ones are in excellent hands!

And if you’re curious how the morning wrapped up, I’ve put together a short thank-you video for the lecturers, the students, and the one and only Merprince.

👉 Click here to watch.