Suraj the Tiger Cub

"Suraj the Tiger Cub" is a series of three fun stories with animal characters and a jungle setting that children will love. "Suraj" means "light." Suraj, the tiger cub, grows up to become the light of the jungle. The problems Suraj faces while growing up reflect the issues that children have to deal with in their daily lives such as separation anxiety, lack of friends and bullying. Suraj uses a strategy that enables him to find solutions independently. The stories are empowering for children. They can be read aloud to very young children and can be read by older children. Exciting colorful illustrations make the stories attractive to children 4-8 years. "Not Afraid Anymore," the first story of the series, begins with a tiger cub having fears and anxiety issues contrary to expectations since tigers are not supposed to be afraid. It's a big problem for a little tiger cub growing up in the jungle. The only safe place for Suraj is beside his mother. Born with a spirit to conquer, Suraj makes many attempts at having fun with other young animals but something or the other drives him back to his mother. He is not happy until he begins to use his 'thinking' to solve his problem. He comes up with a strategy that helps him rid himself of his fears. He ends up saving the life of a baby rabbit that a dreaded eagle had carried away. Suraj is now a hero! In "Making Friends," the second story of the series, Suraj misses not having friends. He had been timid as a little cub and hadn't made any. Suraj's spirit to overcome odds sets him on a path of finding friends on his own. He is unsuccessful until he realizes he is not going about it the right way. He uses his 'thinking' to analyze why a friend of his has many friends all over the jungle. He concludes that helping, sharing and being nice are prerequisites to friendship. By the end of the story, Suraj has not one but many friends. In "The Bully," the third and last of the series, Suraj is determined to do something about a bully that is scaring young animals. The jungle has become eerily quiet as young animals have gone into hiding. One day the bully plays a nasty trick on Suraj. Suraj finds out that the bully had played the same trick on a leopard cub and had frightened the little cub badly. Suraj is at first unsuccessful in his attempts at stopping the bully. Success comes when he uses his 'thinking' to devise a strategy to stop the bully. Suraj restores the jungle to the fun and laughter place it originally was. During the course of his adventures, Suraj befriends a little snake, Rassi, who becomes his best friend. Wherever Suraj goes, Rassi goes too. Endearing animal characters and the camaraderie amongst them will draw children to the stories. The Suraj stories will raise awareness in young readers of the beauty of wild life and the importance of wild life conservation. The tiger is an endangered species as are many other animals including the saola antelope that was discovered in 1992 and is already critically endangered. In a "First Lines from First Picture Books" event conducted by The Pen and Ink Blog, the first lines of The Bully were voted one of the top three first lines. http: //thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/answers-from-last-first-line-post.html

About the Author :
Growing up in Hyderabad, India, Farida got her high school certificate from the Overseas High School Certificate program of Cambridge University, UK. Farida continued her studies at Manchester University, UK, earning a degree in English, Sociology and Psychology. A passion for the English language and technology led to her obtaining a Technical Writer Diploma from Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ottawa, Canada. Farida has taught English in the UK, South East Asia, the Middle East and the US. She has taught Human Development to trainee nurses at the Aga Khan University Hospital. She has worked as a technical writer in Canada, has taught ESL, SATs and other entrance examination preparation classes in California and has worked for Yahoo! Inc. Farida's passion for writing and concern for children motivate her stories that provide fun, support and empowerment to children. She believes that children need support from as many avenues as possible so that they can learn and grow to become fulfilled human beings. She occasionally writes for adults. The series of stories titled, 'Suraj, the Tiger Cub' empower children. The main character uses his 'thinking' to come up with solutions independently. Farida sees no boundaries in universal matters that concern human beings; age, demographics, ethnicity nor anything else separates people. She sees herself as a member of the global community. Here are a few lines from a poem that received the Editor's Choice Award at poetry.com, "Where Do I Belong?" .."....... I close my eyes and trace my footsteps, See all the places I've been, And there are fragments of my heart Entwined in every scene. My tortured heart finds peace at last As the answer dawns on me, I belong to all I've touched And all belongs to me." Published by Poetry.com Farida resides in Pasadena, California, USA.