Jun and the Octopus

Written by Goh Eck Kheng  |  Illustrated by Lim An-Ling
hardcover

Jun and the Octopus follows the story of Jun, a boy who confronts his fears and finds the courage to tell his parents about a sexual abuse incident.

Sexual abuse is usually a topic that most adults find challenging to discuss with children. It is not uncommon to hear educators or caregivers struggle with where and how to start. Creating an environment where children are able to learn about sexuality and sexual abuse in an open and honest manner is the first step towards protecting them from harm, and stories are a powerful medium for children to learn about topics that are not easy to talk about.

Jun and the Octopus has a distinct Asian folklore flavour, which sets it apart from more Western-oriented books that deal with the subject matter. The book will help kick start meaningful conversations about body safety skills.

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This title has been shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2020. 

The Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award (HABA) is presented biennially to an outstanding children’s book written by a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident. 

Objectives: 
To encourage the quality and quantity of books published for children; 
To promote the publication of books, set in a familiar and meaningful background that is relevant to the Singapore children.

The award ceremony for HABA 2020 will be held online for the first time and will be live-streamed on the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC)’s Facebook on 4 October 2020 at 6.00pm (SGT).