August 4, 2002

IF time could be turned back, everyone would like to return to their childhood — the golden age which passes in a wink. And even though we outgrow this phase soon, yet the child in us remains for life. Moreover, childhood experiences have an immense effect on our personality. This is one reason why philosophers and psychologists stress the need to provide the best to our children as their formative years play an important role in moulding their psyche.

Quality books have proved to be the best guide that a child can have, especially in a language that he can best understand and relate to. In an age where the reading habit is no longer envogue, reading material for children and that too in their native language seems a task impossible. However, thanks to Saima Akbar’s series of four publications, Pakistani children have books that they can finally call their own. This series is welcome literature for the young reader. Awarded Certificates of Commendation by the National Book Foundation, Sobia ki sair which has bagged the second prize as well, Darakht ka bhoot, Aaj ka kaam abhi, and Choti si khwahish contain delightful tales.

The narrator is relatively novice in the field. Saima Akbar, herself a mother of two children, knows how to capture the reader’s imagination. All the tales carry a lesson, with captivating illustrations done by her artist husband, Akbar Sami. The author uses simple and lucid language through which she easily reaches out to kids and helps them understandthe various issues featured in the books better. This must have been quite a challenge as putting forth ideas to young minds in simple words and in a readable style is usually a magnanimous task.

Both the stories in Sobia ki sair deal with basic human qualities which children can understand, namely, love, obedience, intelligence and future planning, whereas the tales featured in Choti si khwahish are based on basic scientific principles which define space and flowers. Darakht ka bhoot promotes healthy lifestyles where as Aaj ka kaam abhi, as the title indicates, emphasises the importance of responsibility and usefulness.

 

Sobia ki sair Choti si khwahish Darakht ka bhoot Aaj ka kaam abhi

By Saima Akbar

Illustrated by Akbar Sami Ferozsons, 60 Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam, Lahore

Tel: (042) 630 1196

277 Peshawar Road, Rawalpindi Tel: (051) 564 273

Mehran Heights, Main Clifton Road, Karachi Tel: (021) 583 0467

74-E Blue Area, Islamabad Tel: (051) 274708

ISBN 969-0-0694-6,

969-0-01692-X,

969-0-01693-8,

969-0-01708-X

16pp each. Rs25 each

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