ISBN: 978-981-11-5028-9
Published: 2018
Dimension: 130mm x 200mm
Extent: 112
Finish: Paperback

Sale Price: $12 (Free Shipping)
Usual Price: $18

Special Movie Edition (Not available in bookstore)

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Bronze Medallist Winner for General Fiction

​Open is a 10-year-old boy with a curiosity for life and the things that happen around him. He is on the autism spectrum, loves to draw and is especially good at drawing monkeys.

When his class is chosen to put up a Chinese Opera based on the Monkey King and Journey to the West, Open must find it in himself to overcome his obstacles and boldly step on stage. A heartwarming story about friendship beyond barriers, Open is a gift calling to the largeness of our hearts.

Praise
“Open: A Boy’s Wayang Adventure is an interesting depiction of Benjamin, a boy with autism and his journey discovering the joy of the Chinese performing art, wayang. At a deeper level, the story reflects how Benjamin’s parents care for and support him as they too embark on their own life journeys of self-discovery. People on the autism spectrum show varying degrees of challenges in social interaction, social communications and flexibility in thinking. They may be more or less cognitively able and verbal. Hence, one person with autism may be different from another. However, like the rest of us, they too want to feel safe and have people who understand and accept them for who they are. They too deserve equal access to a good education and other essentials in life. I congratulate the writer and the publisher for the production of the book. I urge all of its readers to help support inclusion and celebrate the abilities of all persons with autism and other special needs.”
—Denise Phua, President, Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)

“Open offers readers a convincing and an unadulterated insight into the world of a special child. The intellect of the 10-year-old protagonist, interspersed with his struggles to interact with others around him and to express his innermost feelings and thoughts, draws the readers in at every juncture. It is a book that has to be read by everyone—adults, parents, children, teenagers and educators alike.”
—Claudine Fernandez, Ed. M (Harvard University), Founder of Artistic Strategies Academy
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“I love how it portrays autism not as a sickness or a health condition. This book comes from a perspective of genuine affection, through the story, one realizes that autism, although some might think a burden. But when autism is sincerely understood and whole-hardheartedly embraced – you see autism as a gift, not a burden.”
—Marianne Inacay, Producer, Channel News Asia​