Mirza’s book inspires imaginations, creative minds, and capable bodies.

Children love long-ago and far-away stories. Fifty years were long ago, and another state, town, or part of the country can be far away. They are captivated by the excitement and adventure of times past and are fans of books like Tom Sawyer, Little House on the Prairie, and Huckleberry Finn. Yet, if they could peer into their family history, they might find stories equal to those they read about. Unfortunately, most of those long-ago and far-away tales have disappeared from family memory. But Kishwar Mirza’s Stories and Poems from a Grandmother’s Heart brings back memories from a long time ago.  

What The Book Is About

Kishwar Mirza’s illustration book, Stories and Poems from a Grandmother’s Heart, was featured in the Festival of Storytellers in November 2021. The book is a collection of poems and stories that celebrate the joy of being a kid. With more severe topics and silly rhymes, letters of the alphabet come alive while barnyard and woodland creatures have new adventures. Mirza’s book celebrates nature, beauty, and fun with playfulness and curiosity. 

On the other hand, the book will help ignite children’s imagination. It also supports vital programs at the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Winnipeg, as a percentage of the book’s sales will go there. 

The Value of Mirza’s Illustration book

Stories and Poems from a Grandmother’s Heart is an imaginative introduction to the world of literature for children, which plays a vital part in their development. Mirza’s picture book is meant to be read aloud, making the book the perfect reading resource for sharing stories with children. It offers young readers a language feast! Through the many rhymes and rhythms included in this book, children can experience the sounds of an adult’s language. Also, when writing this book, Mirza seriously considered the chosen words and how they are used. Thus, the rich use of language in these books extends and develops children’s use of written and spoken language.

And then there are the illustrations! Through the collaboration between the pictures and the words on the page, Mirza ensures that children can make meaning from what is being read to them. And in the end, they can learn to enjoy the stories and poems in this illustrated book. Young readers will also learn to “read” pictures. They will develop the skill of interpreting visual images or, in this case, the animal characters that come alive! 

And finally, there is that valuable human quality of empathy. With the author’s vast imagination, young children will be able to join someone else’s world just for a moment. The book will undoubtedly help children learn how to step into someone else’s shoes and see life from a different perspective. This value is vital because, as they say, something powerful happens when kids share stories. Life gets bigger.

Mina was a little girl who loved nature. She liked going outside and saying good morning to all the flowers and trees. The flowers were always happy to see her and smile and waved their petals to say ‘good morning’ back. The Story of the letter O, who felt that he was not important because he was round and no one would miss him. “Where are the bees?” said the flowers to the trees. (excerpt from the author’s favorite page)

Author’s Bio

Kishwar Mirza has a background in nursing and education. She works as a nursing supervisor in a children’s hospital. She wrote Stories and Poems from a Grandmother’s Heart because she received inspiration from her granddaughter. She loves writing poems and expressing herself through them. Mirza also has a teaching background as she graduated as a teacher. She taught for a year in an elementary school and has taught adult students.