She opened the parcel very carefully, she didn't want to destroy the message, and when she picked up the book and saw her name she let out a "wow", with spontaneity and a torn smile on her face. She opened the book and giggled shyly as she read things that identified her, her eyes sparkled, she was enchanted by the book, she kept her curious eyes fixed on the book, she wanted to explore more, she seemed hypnotised by the book. It was great to see. I think that images speak more than words and are the best way to express feelings and I saw in Zolani's video this pure, true, genuine feeling for the book and I was infected by her joy!
This could have been a story about an adult who loves reading, but amazingly, it's about a little girl of eight who received a personalised book with her story as a gift.
At a time when children and teenagers are increasingly distant from books, where mobile phones, computers, video games and other technological devices are stealing their attention, there is a need for society to look for ways to make reading a habit enjoyed by youngsters.
With this in mind, social innovator Ivándra José has developed a line of personalised books for children. A unique process that we'll get to know in more detail in the next few lines.
Ivándra's interest in literature is linked to art in general. She learnt to draw and paint her first five-petalled flower at the age of five. A curious fact is that despite being the daughter of a drawing teacher, it was her mother who taught her how to draw. She also says that from an early age, as well as drawing, she was exposed to books and audio stories, not to mention the fact that she had a cupboard full of books in her house.
"I had a book that my mum brought back from Cuba for my aunt and I loved the illustrations. I also remember a cassette of stories that my uncle recorded for me. My mum and uncles liked to tell stories to me and my cousins, but the stories told at the campfire at my grandparents' house by my grandfather were the best because they involved a performance with songs, where we could be the characters in the story and wear a costume made out of capulana. I also had two little books that my father gave me when I started learning about letters and reading. It was very early because my mum taught me at home before I learnt at school," she said.
As time went by and she became more aware of the importance of reading, she decided to take a passionate and dedicated plunge into this world, either by reading or writing, because, as she says, you can't write without reading. Literature came to her lightly, until in recent years it became a priority and an important occupation.
About her first book, "DESMOND: The boy who gave colour to the world", Ivándra tells us that the creation didn't follow an organic process. When she started writing it, the idea wasn't to make a book, she just wanted to let the words dictate their own course. It was at a time when she was preparing for a trip to Brazil and needed to mobilise resources. Looking at her mind map, at all the abundance she had, the way she found to transpose her inner self was in book form.
"When I had that clarity it was spectacular, I jumped up and down, I got going straight away, I produced the first book for my nephew and, as it happened to be around Children's Day, I received so many orders that I went crazy, it was a lot of stories to create, but it was very positive and marvellous. It was a process of a lot of surrender, of looking inside myself, feeling what was alive and bringing all that abundance out into the open."
The first book was conceived and produced for his nephew, without much criticism from the public. However, it was necessary to expand his product and allow more children to have access to books telling their own story.
Ivándra's aim is for the children who receive the book to take ownership of the storylines and therefore remain excited to listen or read. Adults who want to give the children a gift can order the book according to what the children like or prefer: colour, title, characters and more. Anything goes to make the story a real dream for the child.
According to the author, the experience has been wonderful and some parents have even asked her to create a version for adults, saying that they would love to have a personalised book about their childhood. But the children's reaction to receiving the book with their story has been a real enlightenment in the author's life.
Speaking of lighting the way, our Ivándra understands that personalised books are not just objects or childhood memories, they are dreams in the form of letters. And what do dreams do? They light the flame of life, act as fuel, improve the quality of life, inspire the best, ensure health and well-being and contribute to a better world.
