The launch of the One Eyed Ogre book with Fr Ambrose Pinto my then principal of St. Joseph's, Penelope Edwards who had been my classmate in school for 2 years in SHGHS and Francisco Saldanha then President of the CC.
I never cared about writing kiddy stories till I worked in the Deccan Herald and Daksha Hathi who was incharge of the Open Sesame came and said I want a story for my next issue written by you -- go for it. Hell! I was writing fashion and food and reviewing movies and flying all over the place covering musicians like Sting and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. Who the heck would write a kiddy story?
But I love a challenge and so picked up Daksha’s gauntlet and racked my brain for an idea. As they say stories come out of a writer’s head, from their experiences and something they have read and ----out flowed “ The One Eyed Ogre”. Illustrated beautifully by the designers, my story obviously caught the reader kids attention, with a one eyed ogre no less and I had an excited Daksha come running to say -- write some more -- write another -- the kids loved your story and look at the letters she said waving a bgi sheaf of them! It was not yet email time, hard copy letters were still in fashion.
So I delved into my childhood where my Mum’s grandmother was the super grandma story teller of all time. Her stories kept us entranced every single day we spent holidaying with her in Baroda. We sat on her bedroom steps and listened, while she wove the most outlandish tales. And the more outlandish the better they were for us.
And then suddenly I was grown up and had my own sons and I never had the time to tell them stories. But I did encourage them to read and so did my parents thank God. And so till today my son David and the youngest Steve, never feel alone like me, ‘cause they always have a book to keep them company. Stacks of books,that they spend their savings on driving me crazy because it’s way crazier than I ever was.
Alaina's Dandelion Christmas gift book
And then I have two DIL’s, who are crazy readers too and so to my great happiness their homes are overflowing with books and they read as passionately and fanatically too. It's good to be non compos mentis about books especially if you are like me, living on the written word.And I am forever grateful to my Mum who taught me to learn one new word everyday, so I do -- I still do and there’s plenty more to learn and use.
Then, along came my grand daughters and presto-- what is the best way to keep them happy and engaged? Well tell them a story and ofcourse the more outlandish the better. After all they are MY grand girls!
Am invited all the time to kiddy schools
So, I decided last Christmas when we all met to celebrate Christmas together in London, to give them a book as a gift. A book with a story written especially for them and illustrated beautifully and printed to boot. It was expensive ‘cause the illustrations cost me a pretty packet and the colour printing as well.
Natalie's special book
But my story is not over yet -- right from going to the Colour Xerox place to get the books digitally printed, I was met with excitement from all who handled the book. The graphic designer who opened up my PDF on a pendrive, just loved the look of the book. The printer who digitally ran off 50 copies for me kept looking at me and then finally asking if I was the author! The trimmer who trimmed the sheets and stapled them to make them into a book, told me he had a granddaughter and could he have one book and I gave him two! And finally the owner who said Maam, can I have a photo with you, the author of a kiddy book printed here is a proud moment for us!
Another picture with the interested kids
I felt like a star and ofcourse wallowed in all the adulation. And carried the books home all beautifully wrapped in brown paper to put into my suitcase to take to the girls.
The joy and wonder on their faces on Christmas Day I will never forget and was worth all the effort and money I had spent. “ My own story book? No one else has a book like this? You wrote the story just for me? And your friend from the newspaper did all the drawings?
All my thanks was emblazoned across their lovely baby faces. It made my Christmas and it made all the effort worthwhile. So, promptly I came home to India and wrote 15 stories at a stretch. Fifteen wonderful tales about their Dads and their Uncle Steven and then began my search for an illustrator. Yes, Yatish had moved on from the paper and I had helped get him into Infosys, where they recognised his humongous talent and kept him busy.
Another school in Sarjapur
So, I wracked my brains and then suddenly, quite by accident I met with an old Delhi classmate who is a Doctor out of AIIMs and was an Air Marshal heading the Military Hospital in Bangalore. The section that had the hyperbaric chambers which saved my Mums leg in a horrific accident. Giles said he had donned another avatar with retirement and was illustrating besides running a tiny clinic with his wife in Moira, Goa.And he would be proud to illustrate my book. Ofcourse I had to listen to how he and his gang came for all the sports meets to watch me run and win. How I never even deigned to look at them. Well-- who had time to look at ugly, pimply classmates!
My book is on the graphic designers table and soon 15 stories will be made into a lovely book for my little girls to enjoy about their Dads. All the pranks they were upto as kids, all the schoolboy stuff they did, the prizes they won, the fun they had, all wrapped up and written down into a book.
Many adults love my book
That's what grandmas are for and I am glad I am upholding my grandmas tradition of story telling, though in a more sophisticated avatar. In an illustrated book which they can save for a lifetime. Just sad that my parents are not here to see, what their prodding has done to me finally!
http://waltermenezes.blogspot.com/2010/07/story-book-for-children-one-eyed-ogre.html
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