Kariema Taliep Davids was inspired by her granddaughter to write a children’s book.
A Wetton woman’s love for reading and sharing this passion with her first grandchild has led to her publishing a children’s book.
Kariema Taliep Davids started writing Haniyah and the Pink Rabbit, in November last year. She had always dreamed of writing a children’s book, and spending more time with her granddaughter, Haniyah Davids, 3, over lockdown, was just the inspiration she needed.
“Haniyah loves animals, and she loves books,” Ms Taliep Davids says. “I took out a membership card for her at the library in November, and she loves going there. She chooses her own books and can’t wait for me to read it to her.”
The book tells the story of a little girl - named after her granddaughter - who saves up money to buy her pink rabbit a “house”. When she has enough money, though, she decides to be kind to another child instead.
“The story is about caring and sharing, but also with it, my mission is to encourage children to read as well.”
Ms Taliep Davids remembers how, as a child, she was excited to belong to the Jellybean Journal (a Weekend Argus initiative) and the Junior Argus Club.
“I used to send in poems, stories and drawings and could not wait to see it published. I have two adult sons. I used to read to them often when they were boys. They belonged to Lansdowne library, and I still have their library cards. Since the 1990s, I wanted to write a children’s book, and it was an actor on an Afrikaans television series, called Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling, who inspired me with his saying, ‘moenie dink nie, doen net’. That phrase stuck with me. However, my life got so busy once I was married and had a family. I kept postponing it.”
When grandchildren were born she says it almost felt like she started “playing doll” again, especially since her first grandchild is a girl.
“When I started doing things with Haniyah and reading to my grandchildren, it all came back to me. She just inspired me.”
Besides writing, she also enjoys sketching and painting, and did all the illustrations in the book herself.
The book is self-published, and pre-orders have helped Ms Taliep Davids pay the printing costs.
The book sells for R150, and is available from Ms Taliep Davids at 063 864 1701.