Telling stories of sailing the high seas
From watching humpback whales cavorting in the water to gazing at a night sky shimmering with stars, the Republic of Singapore Navy will be sharing tales on the high seas with the young through its first series of children's books.
Ahoy, Navy! is the name of the collection of four titles published to mark the navy's 50th anniversary.
Children can listen to the first two books - Papa Goes To Sea, and Indy! Indy! Indy! - being read aloud by navy personnel at various public libraries, including those in Bishan and Tampines, from this Saturday to June 3.
The other two books will be out later this year.
There are also plans for every person in the navy to have a full set of the books, so that navy parents can explain their work to their children.
One of the storytellers, Major Lim Woon Huat, 42, said: "Usually, I can't really disclose too much, and (my children) will ask when I'm coming back."
The father of four young boys has served in the navy for about 20 years.
The first two books are written by Major Winnie Tan, 30, and are targeted at children between four and eight years old.
An external author and illustrator were initially supposed to produce the books.
When none of their stories resonated with the navy, Major Tan took on the task instead.
"We realised that the navy needed to tell its own story, so we started looking internally to see who could write," she said.
To register for the free readings, go to www.nlb.gov.sg/golibrary
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