The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories : A delightful book of short stories
Prize winning children's author Khyrunnisa is out with a new book for kids. Titled The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories, the book is a collection of engaging and well written humorous stories.
Khyrunnisa shares her thoughts on this new release from Scholastic India.
1.The title is intriguing. When and how did the title flash into you?
Khyrunnisa shares her thoughts on this new release from Scholastic India.
1.The title is intriguing. When and how did the title flash into you?
I love playing with words and while thinking up a story that has a lizard as the main character, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ came to my mind and changing ‘wizard’ to ‘lizard’ was but natural. This is a story that I started with only the title ready. I had to think up a suitable plot after that.
- Most people are allergic to lizards and snakes. What is your equation with lizards and snakes to make them into protagonists for your short stories ?
I wanted to write stories about animals and creatures that people aren’t very comfortable with or ones they regard as pests, like mosquito, ant, lizard, snake, rat or termite. These creatures are around us all the time and since they aren’t exotic or glamorous and are generally shunned because of their nuisance value, they are rarely considered worthy protagonists in stories. Every creature has a place in the ecosystem and I wanted to bring some respectability to these.
- Your title is the same as one of the books from R.L.Stine's Goosebump series. Do you think it will confuse the readers and affect sales in anyway?
I had no idea about the title in the Goosebump series until after the book was ready. Just out of curiosity, I did a Google search of the title and that was when I realised there was a similar title in the Goosebump series. But I don’t think that would be a problem or affect sales since Stine’s book would be regarded as the Goosebump ‘Lizard of Oz’ while mine would be just ‘The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories.’
- You have managed to share your love for similes and Shakespeare through ‘The Apis Theatre’ and ‘The Snake in the Grass’ without being preachy.
There is really no need to be preachy or moralistic while bringing in Shakespeare or while playing with words, metaphors and similes. I try not to be preachy in any of my books and emphasise the fun element.
- Your connect with nature comes out in these animal stories. How much of your childhood did you spend interacting with nature?
A lot of it. I come from a large family and we enjoyed holidays where we were out in the wild, climbing trees, going to rivers, waterfalls, running along paddy fields and playing outdoors.
- You are steeped in the school world of Butterfingers. Did writing these stories come easily to you?
Yes, they did come easily to me. I like to write different kinds of stories – about animals, village life and so on - not just confine myself to those set in schools, and have written quite a lot of such stories.
- Did you compile the stories and submit them to Scholastic or did they approach you to write this book?
I compiled them and approached Scholastic.
- Which of the three stories have you freshly written for this book?
‘The Lizard of Oz’, ‘The Peacock Throne’ and ‘Culic to the Rescue.’
- Will your fans get to read a Butterfingers book this year?
No, not this year. But I hope I can please my fans with one next year.
To buy a copy of Khyrunnisa's The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories, click here,
(PS: I am affiliate of Amazon. When you buy the book through the above hyperlink, I will receive a small percentage of sales which helps me run Kahani Takbak, a platform to promote Indian books, author and illustrators.)
To know more about Khyrunnisa, click here.
(PS: I am affiliate of Amazon. When you buy the book through the above hyperlink, I will receive a small percentage of sales which helps me run Kahani Takbak, a platform to promote Indian books, author and illustrators.)
To know more about Khyrunnisa, click here.
Very Informative
ReplyDeleteWhat is dimeapp.in, really?
ReplyDeletedimeapp.in is a game of skill that allows you to form your own team and make your winning strategy. dimeapp.in app is a platform that lets you enjoy dimeapp.in right from your mobile and showcase your knowledge of the game. Here you can create your own dimeapp.in team of real-life players and score points basis their performance in the actual game. It is through your analytical skills, you build the right winning strategy and win cash prizes. Eager to start? Just go for dimeapp.in App download and start playing for free on your mobile.
Keeping you safe? Always!
dimeapp.in is backed by many data management policies to help players keep their accounts safe. We strongly recommend you not to share the OTP/Password with anyone and while creating one, make this your mantra – complicated is simple! Any changes or modifications in our customer care policies will be updated on the website – dimeapp.in and therefore, beware of the fraudulent calls or unrequested OTPs! Play safe!
dimeapp.in is a dimeapp.in game – which is a pure game of skill and can be enjoyed on iOS devices without any hassle! The dimeapp.in app is exciting and interactive, which at the same time allows players to access it right from their devices!
Once you download the app, registering yourself is simple; you can either create an account manually or simply connect it with your Google or Facebook account. The platform has various games that keep running round the clock and what’s better than playing them according to your convenience?
dimeapp.in is a dimeapp.in app that lets users make a team of their own and create a strategy to win the game based on players they choose. With a 100% secure payment gateway and right visual interface, there would never be a dull moment in your gaming experience! Stop thinking and start using your decision skills, analytical bent, and experience to start playing the dimeapp.in game now.
The process of downloading dimeapp.in app on your iOS device is very easy, just follow this link, click on download, install, and register – you’ll be done to start playing putting that strategy into the game! Enjoy.