When Children Read with the Beat

At my “Read with the Beat” session at OTH Library, what thrilled me to bits was hearing some parents and kids read the words along with me.

As a visually-impaired Singapore author, I always wondered how children who cannot fully see illustrations experience picture books. That question shaped the way I now write as Sherri Eri, and later, the way my company, Picture the Book, began experimenting with Story-Oke.

That Saturday, 2 May 2026, we were in a room called Programme Zone 1 on the second floor of OTH Library. Most parents and their kids were sitting on mats that librarians Keisha, Alexis, and Nad had laid out on the floor. Other parents and kids were sitting on chairs further back.

Opening the door to more readers

The session was supported by the National Library Board’s Accessible Reading Materials and Resources department, which works to encourage people with print disabilities, including the visually impaired, to enjoy reading through accessible formats and inclusive programmes.

Follow the sound, follow the story

I was sometimes sitting, sometimes standing to the side, near the audience but not obstructing their view of the screen. On it, the illustrations and words from my picture book flashed while I narrated the story to the beat.

I call my storytelling style Story-Oke. Like karaoke, but instead of songs, I (and the audience, if they want to) read the text in time to the soundtrack.

The rhythm gives children something fun to follow. Instead of listening to long stretches of uninterrupted reading, they hear music and sounds like claps or tambourines returning now and then to signal that something is about to happen, for example, when a crisis boils over or when heroes rush to the rescue.

Those repeated sounds also help children anticipate what comes next. Once they catch the pattern, many join in before the words even appear. And because they are listening, reading, and sometimes moving at the same time, their attention stays locked in longer.

The sweet relief of laughter

So when I wrote these stories, I fretted over how to create moments that would tickle the little ones.

And when those giggles came at the parts I’d hoped for, they were the sweetest sounds I heard that day. I never want to stop doing what I do. Thanks for getting it, kids!

When the story spilled off the screen

At the end of Mermaid On A Mountaintop, some of the children “attended” Mermaid’s ball with their mummy, daddy, or siblings. Then everyone danced to Mist of My Memory, the song my husband Rush and I wrote for the story. Every child who joined in went home with a small gift.

Later, after The Fart Brigade, came musical chairs with a twist. Whoever missed out on a chair with a fart cushion had to make a fart sound with their mouth instead. Each contestant still received a small gift, but the child left standing at the end became the champion.

Or so he thought.

Before claiming his prize, he faced one final challenge. While the song from The Fart Brigade played, he had to sit every time the lyrics said “fawt” or “pawt”, then jump back up again straight after. My 25-year-old niece, Aisyah, joined him so he wouldn’t feel shy doing it by himself. And whenever the song reached “Friends forever”, the whole room, grownups included, shouted the words back at them.

By the end, the little champ didn’t just walk away with the same small gift as everyone else. He also won a copy of The Fart Brigade.

After the last page

By the end of the session, the room thrummed with chatter and laughter. Some parents remained to talk, and their kids took the chance to play with the fart cushions still lying around. What joy to hear the happy stragglers still laughing and playing.

A big thank you to my niece, Aisyah, who came to help even though she still had to rush home to pack for her midnight flight.

A warm thank you to friends and neighbours who have become family. Your presence there made the day special.

Thank you too to librarians Keisha, Alexis, and Nad. You made me feel so welcome the moment I stepped into the library.

And thank you to the National Library Board for spaces like the soundproof Programme Zone room at Our Tampines Hub Library. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to read aloud, dance, or shout “Friends forever”. It felt delicious to do all that in a place where we usually have to keep quiet.

May these kids and the library stay … friends forever!

Interested in bringing a Story-Oke session to your school, library, or community space? You can reach me through Picture the Book.

Click here to watch snippets from the storytelling.

And if you’re in Singapore, here’s some happy news: my books are now available directly from my website. Shop for them here.

Sherri Eri is a Singapore-based children’s author and founder of Picture the Book. She writes inclusive picture books and audiobooks shaped by rhythm and carefully chosen words — so children can follow the story even if they can’t see the illustrations.