8/8/2019 News Nyla Book 070710

1/1

REPORT AND PICTURE: KENNETHGOH

kengohsz@sph.com.sg

SHEis justfiveyearsold,but NylaEsman

isalreadya published author.This is how it happened. Her mother

readsa storytoher everynight.Butone nightNylasaidshe wantedto tella story instead.

Sick of wolves being portrayed in a nega-tive light, Nyla made up a story about how a

wolfbefriendsa girlin thewoods.When Nyla fell asleep, her mother, Mad-

am Nura J, 27, a home-based tuition teacherwho was a New Paper New Face finalist in2002,wrote downthestoryand edited it.

The former primary school teacher thenasked an ex-student to provide the illustra-tions for the book. Muhammad Khilfie, 12,completedthe illustrations within threedays.Colouringtook anotherweek.

Nylas aunt, Madam Netty Mattar,a post-graduate English Literature tutor, vetted thestory. Nyla herself made decisions on howeachcharacter shouldlook, right downto thehairstyleand clothes.

The result: A book titled The Big GoodWolf.

Storytelling is a good way to unleash achildscreativity,said MadamNura.

And, thanks to mobile phone makerHTCs Celebrate Me contest, Nyla will getto celebrate her achievement with a bookparty.

The contest called for people to tell HTCabout an event or person they wish to cele-brate. The top 10, voted by the public, woncelebrationpacksworthupto $1,000.

Nyla and the other winners will receivetheir prizesat a partyat Zirca tonight.

Madam Nurahad chancedupon thecon-testonTwitter. TheformerSuriaartistedecid-ed to participate just a day before the con-testclosed onJune 18.

She submitted a photograph of herself,Nylaand her businessman husbandMoham-ed Esman, 40, calling themselves TheDream Team and wrote about her daugh-tersachievement.

The book had been published on May 24tomark Nylasfifthbirthday.

Apartfrom thestory,it featuresinteractiveelements like spaces for readers to draw andimaginealternative endingsfor different char-acters.

This allows budding writers to createtheirideasfor newstories, said MadamNu-ra.

Readinghas always beenan essential partof Nylas life. Madam Nura recalled readingtoher daughterevenwhen shewas pregnant.

Library-hoppingThe family has also been library-hop-

ping, going to differentlibraries every week-endfor thepastthreeyears.

Each time, Nylaborrowsup to20 books.Now, it is her own book that is taking the

spotlight.Mother and daughter have been making

appearances at storytelling session at publiclibraries.

The first batch of 500 copies was sold outwithin a month. They are now waiting foranotherbatchof 500copiesto arrive.

And Nyla, who likes princesses in fairytales,is dreamingbig.She is alreadyplanninghernextstorybook.

Itwillbe about a familyof animalsand shewill be pulling double duty as author andillustrator.

TheBigGoodWolfis priced at$15.99 andcanbe boughtonlineat www.thebottomsup-club.com

TheHTC party is aninvitation-onlyevent.But e-mail celebrate.me7@gmail.com forfree tickets.

News

5-year-old getsfirstbook published,500 copies sold

Look ma, I am an author

Storytellingisagoodway tounleashachildscreativity. MadamNuradescribingNylas efforttohelp createTheBigGood Wolf

BIGGOODWOLF:

Nyla Esman gets in character asMadam NuraJasni Esman readstheir book, The Big Good Wolf,to her.

THENEWPAPER Wednesday, July 7 2010 11

http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://948177-6/http://947709-14/http://947709-14/http://947709-14/http://947709-2/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://948466-1/http://947709-3/http://947709-3/http://947709-3/http://947709-3/http://947709-3/http://948466-1/http://947709-14/http://947709-3/http://947709-2/http://947709-1/http://947709-1/http://948177-6/