Former Bahrain resident Archana Narayanan’s latest children’s book has hit the shelves and creatively explores herpetophobia – a fear or aversion to reptiles, commonly lizards and snakes.
The 24-page illustrated story There’s a Lizard in My Room! is about a little girl – Padma – who finds a lizard in her room. She drives it away with great difficulty but soon realises it was a mistake.
“Growing up, I’ve always disliked lizards,” the 37-year-old told GulfWeekly.
“When I used to live in Bahrain, there were hardly any. But every summer when I travelled to India, they’d sneak up on me when I least expected - when I brushed against a wall hanging or when I moved the table. The jump scares were the worst,” she added.
The Asian School Bahrain alumna left the kingdom when she was 15 to
pursue her higher education in her hometown in Kerala, India.
“After I
moved back, I had to live with them all the time! Of course, I tried to
push them out but they would find their way back.
“I only made
peace with their presence after I understood that lizards play an
important role in our eco system, which is what inspired me to write
this book.”
The mother-of-one, who embarked on her writing journey
after feeling inspired by her story time sessions with her son, noted
that she wanted children to understand that every creature on earth has a
role to play.
“The absence of any one could impact the balance of
our ecosystem no matter how ‘disgusting’ or small the creature is,”
explained the animal lover, who dreamed of becoming a veterinarian when
she was younger.
Eventually, she pursued engineering at the Indian
Institute of Technology in Chennai, and worked for some years before she
quit her job and became a full-time author.
Most of Archana’s
stories are inspired by her observations and experiences. Like her
fantasy fiction The Treasure Seekers: An Otherworldly Quest, which
released in November last year, and brings alive friendship and
adventure.
Other titles she has published include Bhoomi Learns to Draw a Kolam (design), Gokulam Celebrates and Goodnight, Krishna.
“Writing
my latest book was easy because I drew inspiration from my own
experiences. However, finding a home for it took sometime but now it’s
finally out there,” she said, highlighting the creative process.
“This
was the first to be accepted by a traditional publisher – Wonder House
Books. It has taken some time but the wait was worth it because the
illustrations are quite captivating,”
The wordsmith collaborated with
India-based artist Aashay Utkarsh for the book, which is available at
major bookstores across the subcontinent as well as on selected digital
platforms.
