By Rachael Boon

When Joanna Wong's son Bryan was 3-1/2 years old, she read to him stories which she personally wrote, typed, illustrated and printed using Microsoft Word.

Now, 12 years later, the former banker has published the 10 books she had written for him.

They were launched last Sunday at Borders in Wheelock Place.

There will be book-signing sessions today at Borders in Parkway Parade at 1pm and at Books Kinokuniya in Takashimaya Shopping Centre at 5pm. The last book-signing session is at Popular Compass Point tomorrow at 2pm.

The series, Jo's Early Readers, comprises short stories with moral messages in the form of phonetic rhymes and repetitions. It is suitable for children aged four to seven.

She says Bryan advised her to share the stories with other children because he felt he benefited a lot from them.

Wong, 50, who has another son, Brandon, 20, recalls how she used to take Bryan to the library to get him interested in reading.

'But he wasn't interested and he always told me: 'Mum, I'm only interested in stories told by you',' she says.

Once he was hooked on the stories, his love for reading began.

The 16-year-old says: 'It was the 10 books which got me started because of the catchy rhymes. I was also attracted by the colours of the pictures.'

Of all the books, his favourite is The Little Toy Shop, which is about a young boy who saves a toy shop from being burgled.

'I loved the story for its rhymes and storyline. I was intrigued by the pictures because as a child, toys caught my attention. The story just stuck with me.'

Furthermore, he learnt about moral values from books such as Jay, Clay And Ray, which features a bully, a boy with a disability and his best friend.

'It's about accepting everyone despite their differences,' he adds.

Other books in the series include A Star In A Jar, about a girl who catches a star, and A Man On The Moon, about a girl who imagines the life of a man living on the moon.

The books are also filled with illustrations by Wong, who started painting in 2003.

She owns an online gallery.

She had also published two children's books about a magic squirrel in 2005 and 2007.

'Writing and painting are about pursuing a passion and I love to spread the joy of reading,' adds Wong.

She plans to publish more books for Jo's Early Readers.

The 10 books in the series Jo's Early Readers (Banjo & Sons, 2009, from $3.80 to $4.80) are available at major bookstores. More details at www.banjoandsons.com

This article was first published in The Straits Times.