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A CHILDREN’S book celebrating the differences and beauty of people is enthralling readers in Bahrain’s multicultural society.
Former Bahrain resident and author Dilraz Kunnumal’s creation, We Are All Different, We Are All Amazing, features lessons in diversity.
The 35-page book explores themes such as inclusivity, empathy and respect, inspired by Dilraz’s own experiences as a mother to eight-year-old ‘Ninja’ Ayan and two-and-a-half-year-old Amara ‘Bee’ who feature in the story.
“I had been nurturing the idea for a while before I decided to write it,” the 37-year-old told GulfWeekly.
“I then self-published it, working with a team of illustrators called TullipStudio.”
Dilraz has included a wide range of ideas to make a vast topic like ‘diversity’ as comprehensive as possible and hopes it becomes a starting point for conversations on the subject.
“There is diversity and beauty all around us, from the colour of our skin and shape of our bodies to the language we speak and religion we believe in. I have also included differences in learning abilities and neurodivergence. There is a multitude of areas we need to understand and talk about. We need to celebrate these differences while reiterating that we are all still essentially the same,” the Indian communications manager working for Texas AM University in Qatar said.
An excerpt from the book reads:
‘Some people can understand things quickly,
Some take more time to learn and understand.
Some people just think differently,
People should not be laughed at, no matter how their minds work’.
We Are All Different, We Are All Amazing, Dilraz’s third book and second children’s book, comes close at the heels of her release last December – Drops of Nurture: True Stories of Love, Resilience & Community records the breastfeeding journeys of 30 mothers, their ups and downs and strengths and vulnerabilities.
The author’s debut title See You Soon, which hit shelves in November 2020, focuses on separation anxiety between mother and child.
“I write based on my life as a parent, my experiences, things I have learned and unlearned, and want my children to know. And all these topics are very close to my heart, I am making resources for families like my own that will help them navigate these intricate subjects,” she said.
“While I wrote the book and had a clear idea of what I wanted it to look like, the credit for building the characters, including the representations of my own children, goes to the artists at TullipStudio who did a fabulous job in bringing my vision to life,” she added.
Born and raised in Bahrain, Dilraz was exposed to cultural diversity from the start.
A ‘global citizen’, she believes that differences must not only be respected but also celebrated.
“In this day and age, it is absolutely important that we teach our children the value of diversity. Not just how our differences make us unique and incredible, but also how we are similar in so many ways. That’s what makes our society amazing. Respect and acceptance are non-negotiable even if we look or talk or eat or work or think differently, and that’s the crux of this book,” she explained.
Dilraz laid the foundation of her writing career in the Kingdom where she attended The Indian School Bahrain. In 2014, she moved to Qatar where she lives with her husband Sujid Rehman, a marketing professional.
Motherhood inspired her to start her blog Mommy Dil where she continues to share her journey and experiences. Dilraz visits Bahrain at least twice a year to spend time with her parents, Abdul Rahman Kunnummal and Jameela, both of whom are active in the local Indian community.
Dilraz’s books are available to purchase on Amazon and Flipkart.
For more details, follow @mommydil on Instagram.
