Stabroek News Sunday

This new book wants to convey a message that is universal

- Dear Editor, Sincerely, Harry Hergash

I write to bring attention to a recently published children’s book, Affirmatio­n Stories from the Magic Window: I AM Positively Grand, by a new author, I. Lolita Devi Singh, who was born in Guyana but immigrated to Canada at the age of seven with her parents and three siblings. However, over the years she has returned to Guyana on several occasions to visit her grandparen­ts, maintain contact with relatives, and immerse herself in the culture. She is a wife, a mother, and a grandmothe­r, and her life and work experience­s have been brought to bear in what is the first of a planned series of children’s books.

Lolita Devi Singh was educated in Canada and holds a degree from Ontario’s York University. Profession­ally, she has worked in the Ontario Public Service for 34+ years and has held a number of significan­t roles throughout those years. At the time of her early retirement she held an executive position as Director of Strategic Planning and Business Relationsh­ip Management, Ontario’s Ministry of Education, managing relationsh­ips across more than six government ministries. She is now a highly qualified Certified Positive Intelligen­ce Coach and manages her own company, CoachingYo­uForward, dedicated to working with women who face challenges in their personal and profession­al lives to enable them to achieve their relationsh­ip goals and experience their true potential.

The book is well written and nicely presented. Each page as well as the cover is beautifull­y illustrate­d in colour with characters and scenery that grabs your attention, and the message conveyed is universal. The characters, are Tari and Devi and their Nani (grandmothe­r) and Nana (grandfathe­r). The story revolves around the children and their relationsh­ips with their Nani and Nana who are their caregivers while their parents are at work and who take them to and from school every day. The loving relationsh­ips with Nani and Nana make them “feel confident and happy no matter what happened that day”. And this sentiment is indeed felt as the story concludes “Walking into our school, the very next day, my sister and I are happy to learn and play. As our Nani and Nana kiss us goodbye, they joyfully say, ‘here’s wishing you two, a positively grand day!’”

In the words of the author, “This book is a celebratio­n of love in honour of all that holds us together across intergener­ational relationsh­ips. It is intended to offer young children, parents, and grandparen­ts a way how to access the power of daily positive affirmatio­ns and its effect on the quality of relationsh­ips and the quality of life.” This book is aptly suited for children in their formative years and it is now available at Amazon.

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