Introducing Sri Lanka’s culture and landmarks to children along with a suitable language while teaching them the local knowledge isn’t an easy task for a first-time writer. But Ruvani Chandrasekera’s debut publication manages to do exactly that in a most thrilling and beautiful look-and-find activity book titled, “Uma and Amal’s Adventures Around Sri Lanka” illustrated attractively by Supuni Suriyarachchi and published by The Jam Fruit Tree Publications. Ruvani herself never grew up in Sri Lanka.
Instead she spent her childhood and was schooled in Zambia and later moved to The United States. Her husband is from India and they ultimately settled in Singapore with their children. However Ruvani has visited Sri Lanka many times since her childhood and fondly recalls how her grandfather used to buy her maalu paan and kibula banis during her time spent here.
Ruvani has two children of her own, a five year old and a three year old. “Since my children are growing up in different places, I want to let them know more about their roots and where they came from. They are my inspiration and motivation to start this,” she said.
Part of the reason Ruvani moved to Singapore with her family is because they could be near countries like Sri Lanka and India where their origins are. Cultural aspects She believes that reading books to children would make them more aware of the world around them and encourages them to ask a lot of questions. A similar book titled, “Eye Spy Singap.
