Fascinating Book For Children
A Children’s Writer,Freelance journalist and teacher,Chandrani(Chani) Warnasuriya’s book, ’ Favorite Folktales of Sri Lanka presents a collection of fascinating children’s stories from Sri Lanka penned with consummate ease for the serene joy of children any where in the world.
Those growing up far away from their places of birth are often orphaned intellectually due to the paucity of good folksy tales available.Children especially are made to feel bereft of any sensibilities towards the cultures that nurtured them. Chani has given thought to this dire need to satisfy the hunger for good reading that all children need to possess. I read through the stories in one sitting and read and re-read some of the stories with nostalgia, thinking of my grand mother who lulled me to sleep with stories like these.
This is invigorating story telling, which Children of all walks of life, cooped up in the luxury of their grandmother’s lap can listen to in blissful abandonment. The book succeeds in providing our children with the nourishment they need and thus foster their urge to read relentlessly as they grow up.Chani writes with a flair that is hard to imitate and I enjoyed reading the book thoroughly.
Phillip Fernando (Formerly of the Editorial Staff of the Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka)
SPOOKY TALES FROM THE ORIENT By Chandrani Warnasuriya
In these 162 pages of straight-forward story telling, Chani tries to touch on as many Asian countries as possible. her first tale takes us back to China's Tang Dynasty by recounting the outsmarting of a ghost-- a favorite theme in these tales. Americans are used to this from the time of Benet's "The Devil and Daniel Webster." While a human being the aforesaid ghost failed an Imperial Examination and took his life. This offers an interesting insight into how long China has existed as an orderly civilization, something Americans are beginning to appreciate. A similar theme emerges from Korea with tale number two -- The Grateful Ghost
There is thus enjoyment and Educational value in the 24 tales scattered across this slim volume. There are helpful illustrations by Bhadraji Jayatilaka. Both Burma and Vietnam are represented in this collection as well as the giant powers of japan and India. In short, Chani gives us a useful and entertaining compendium of folk tales much more gentle in tone than the title might suggest. Her three tales from Sri lanka pay tribute to the plentiful abundance of gems in her native home, something many of us might not be aware of. I learned more of this feature of Sri lanka from my two Interviews with Chani on our local cable station in Duarte California (DCTV). In fact one of these Interviews can be accessed under DCTV duarte.com in the "program" category titled "A Second Look." This will give you an even better idea of the author's gentle graciousness and why I say you can trust her with the wise handling of ogres and vampires which adorn this work
