Mum Michelle Poonawalla’s drawing of a mouse set little Tania Poonawalla on the path of writing and getting her debut book published at the age of 11
If there is a saying that has made a lasting impact on young Tania Poonawalla’s mind, it is a quote by Walt Disney, ‘If you dream it, you can do it’. And it’s all credit to her mother, artist and businesswoman Michelle Poonawalla, that Tania has managed to bring out her debut book, The Adventures of Harvey Mouse Sleepover, at the tender age of 11.
It all started the day Michelle drew a picture of a mouse for her son, and Tania, who was just nine years old at that time, wrote the story of Harvey, the mouse. “We didn’t take it forward at the time since I was apprehensive about exposing her to publicity at such a young age,” recalls Michelle. It was much later, during a school meeting with her teachers, that Tania’s dream of getting published was revealed. “Until then, I hadn’t realised how determed she was about doing this!” Michelle laughs. Tania rewrote the story and her mother drew the illustrations. The beautifully illustrated hardbound book makes for a delightful read as Harvey’s naughty friends decide to have a sleepover at his house and get caught in a roller coaster ride of adventures.
Not all glamour
For Tania, it was the process of imagining the characters and giving shape to their story that was the most exciting part. The challenge lay in finding the right publisher and distributor. And Michelle wanted her daughter to be a part of the entire process, and not just get taken in by the glamour associated with the profession. “Writing the story seemed like a breeze in comparison to these challenges but I am grateful to have overcome them and now the book is finally out there,” says Tania, who is a big fan of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series.
Tania credits her family for helping her with the story. “After I wrote the first draft, I sat my family down and everyone read the story and liked it. Their positive feedback inspired me to continue writing. My mom has put in a lot of effort to find the publisher and distributor, as there weren’t many companies who wanted to work with a child author, they only knew how to work with adult authors, so my family’s support has been integral to this book,” she adds.
Getting inspired
Author JK Rowling is someone Tania looks upto. “She is a fine example of an author who believed in herself. Looking at her story and following her journey, I knew that if I really wanted to do something, I could make it possible. This is also because my mother has instilled this value in us,” she says.
Her mother adds, “The thing about this book and why we think it’s so important is that — apart from it being a lovely story filled with all kinds of things that kids can relate to — it’s also very important to share it with other children, so it inspires them. When they look at what this little girl has done, then they can understand that if she can do it, even they can!” Ask Tania if there will be more stories for Harvey and the young author replies, “I’m already thinking of his next adventure!”
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