We can remember that in our childhood our grandmother narrated stories to put us to sleep at night. She could narrate the story in such a way that we could visualise all the sequences as natural as possible. Undoubtedly, narrating stories is an art which requires the ability to hang an unknown era on a single strand of memories. Amani Uduman is such a talented writer. ‘Cedric’s Tail’ is Amani's latest picture book published by Yeehoo Press and will be released on March 8, 2022, in the U.S.in English and in Mainland China, in simplified Chinese language.
In an interview with the Sunday Observer, she shared her process in writing, her aspiration particular in marking her imprints in story telling specialised in children’s literature.
Amani Uduman is a talented children's author based in Melbourne, Australia. She has graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Science, health promotion.
At present, Amani works as a primary school teacher in Melbourne. As she says her professional career obviously adds more inputs to sharpen her passion of storytelling and it supports her to understand children's minds, how they think and see the world differently.
Her inspiration
Amani Uduman has been writing stories for children for more than 10 years. She always immerses herself in novels and short stories because of her growing enthusiasm in reading and narrating stories.
Winding back the clock to her childhood, she had her stories typed on a typewriter. "In Grade 3 we were given a coloured piece of paper as a front cover to our story book. We were asked to illustrate our own work." Of course, the foundation laid by her school teachers had paved the way for her to showcase her talents.
Amani has a method of building up the story in such a way anyone feels natural. She can visualise all the characters spontaneously and develop the story around the protagonist.
However, her method depends on the inspiration which comes to her. In addition, she adds her childhood memories and experience to her stories.
There are many children's books penned by Amani. For instance, "Bat can fly", "Klase Arte", "Ted is lost - Ted Lakon", "Sit", "Art Class," Pig is home", and " The Plastic Throne" are to name few.
Speaking of "The Plastic throne", it was Amani ' s debut picture book by Midnight Sun publishing in Adelaide, Australia. The picture book was released on March 16 2019. It is a story about a plastic throne woven around a little boy called Denver. Denver flushes everything down the toilet and thinks about what happens to them next. Unexpectedly at night, the massive ocean begins to stir. Can Denver and his sister make things right? Her story touches on the concept of sustainability and the protection of our natural environment.
Cedric's tail
No doubt that Amina ' s new picture book "Cedric's tail" will surely be an inspirational one for children. Cedric’s Tail is Amani's new picture book published by Yeehoo Press.
It will be released on the 8th of March 2022, in the U.S. in English and in Mainland China, in simplified Chinese. Speaking of the story, when Cedric receives tail on his fourth birthday, he believes that all his dreams have come true. After a clumsy start, Cedric uses his tail to help his mother and the members of his local community. Soon, Cedric becomes famous and spends much time hiding from the paparazzi.
To make matters worse, he realises the limitations of having a tail, from wearing tailor-made trousers, to having children trip over him during sport and constantly being the centre of attention, despite wanting to blend in.
On his fifth birthday, Cedric wishes for his tail to be removed and asks for something more amusing instead.
Her journey
Amani Uduman has gained a profound knowledge in the art of telling stories in different ways. She had attended writing workshops and followed courses to improve her skills. When asked about her favourite writers, she said that her favourite writers are Enid Blyton, Jon Klassen , Aavon Blabey. Moreover, as noted by Amani that love of writing and reading will continuously reinforce one's passion to be a writer. Surely her message can inspire writers.
Her message
"My advice for aspiring writers would be to write what you’re passionate about and forget about current fads or trends. Simply, keep writing and enjoy the process." Obviously, her message is precious for aspiring writers in the country.
All in all, we know that stories can shape our lives. That is why we encourage children to read stories as much as possible.
There is no doubt that the picture book titled "Cedric's tail" will bring a new dimension for children's thinking process and their lives.