Alia Bhatt with a copy of her first children’s book ‘Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home’
A little girl, Alia, discovers that she has a talent for communicating with nature – a very childlike superpower. She rescues an abandoned puppy named Ed and forms a bond with him, and is aided in this adventure by a talking crow and a talking coconut tree. Alia Bhatt’s first work as a writer (she objects to the label, preferring ‘storyteller’ instead), a children’s picture book titled , is conceptualised as follows The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home,
Published by Puffin, the children’s imprint of Penguin Random House, the book is co-created with Vivek Kamath and Shabnam Minawala and illustrated by Tanvi Bhat. The first book in a planned series, it takes forward Alia’s vision, embodied in her sustainable clothing brand Ed-a-Mamma, of creating ‘mini-planeteers’ – helping children connect with nature and sustainability on an intimate, imaginative level. In conversation The Hindu, The actor-entrepreneur talked about the journey of creating the book, how motherhood deepened her love for storytelling and her plans to expand the series into an animated show and toyline. Some excerpts:,
When did you start working on this series of stories for children?
This was before COVID and before Ed-a-Mamma. Vivek Kamath and I sat down and thought about creating a series of children’s books and turning it into an animation series. We came up with an idea, about a little girl who rescues a dog (‘Ed’ comes from the name of one of my three cats, Edward) and how they go on little adventures to save the planet. It started with our interest in fostering a love for nature in children. As we know, children are already very fascinated by the outside world, birds, trees and animals. There is very little you need to do to let their imagination run wild and free.
Bhatt launched her book at the Storyverse Children’s Lit Fest at Jio World Drive in Mumbai
What was your relationship with books growing up?
As a child, my sister Shaheen was always lost in Harry Potter books while I was daydreaming, staring out the window. My maternal grandfather would tell me wonderful stories about these three characters – Chunnu, Gunnu and Munnu. I wasn’t sure if they were boys or men or rabbits or ants. They were empathetic, amusing, form-agnostic characters. I loved listening to stories or telling stories to myself or acting them out myself. I really remember the books I read at that age Velveteen Rabbit And sophie’s choiceMy mother loved the latter book and would urge me to read it.
What’s the trick to writing a book for kids that is exciting and entertaining while also giving a good message?
The first book is about the dog, Ed, finding a home. It is a rescue story told in a very simple way through universal themes of loneliness and unexpected friendships. We have subtly woven small life stories and themes into the fabric of the story. For example, one of my favorite moments in the book is the description of the little girl’s home, where “mom was working” and “dad was cooking”. There is also the idea that daydreaming in class is not a bad thing at all. Also, the book is hand-printed on FSC-certified paper, which makes it eco-friendly and also highlights the wonder of the natural world.
What is it like to read at home with your daughter Raha? You have dedicated this book to her.
Raha is now 19 months old. As a mom, I read three books to her every night. She loves holding her books and hugging them, she loves them so much. One of our favorite books to read is Tiger came to drink tea by Judith Kerr. In the book, the little girl’s name is Sophie, but during my reading, I changed it to Rah. I like to do multiple voices and make my readings more personal and animated.
…Raha also loves Bill Martin’s Bears series of books. I read them Ed gets home But after four pages, she moved on to another book (laughing)) She was more absorbed in Tanvi’s cute illustrations in the opening pages. It had three things she loves very much: a dog, a ball, a crow.
What are your plans for taking this series forward?
The next book will be the story of Ed and Alya saving the day, with some new characters introduced. We have three stories fully written, and plan to write three more. I would love to work on one of these with my sister Shaheen. A dear friend of mine, Ayesha Devitre Dhillon (Author) Kapoor and sons, The Depths), writes children’s books for her family members and never publishes them. I told her it would be great to channel her energy into this series. We will continue to build this universe through sustainably made toys and personal care products. We are researching how to create educational toys that appeal to different age groups and sharpen their gross motor skills. The animated series is about to enter development. I intend to retain the visual style of the books in the series.
A photo from the launch of ‘Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home’
Tell us about your upcoming film ‘Jigara’, directed by Vasan Bala and co-produced under your banner Eternal Sunshine Productions.
Jigra It is an action film based on a brother-sister relationship. Vasan is a wonderful person and has one of the best nostalgic energy I have ever met. He brings back nostalgia in his films, but he also has a fresh, fun take on it. He is extremely down to earth and his values ​​come from the kindest place. He loves the collaborative aspect of filmmaking and I had a lot of fun working with him. We are really excited Jigra It is coming in October this year.
