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Dr. Krishanthi Rondon Fuentes, a former senior staff member of UNESCO and UNICEF, recently launched seven children’s books in the Inca Cat detective series at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute.
The books have been translated into Sinhala, French, Spanish, German and Chinese with the Russian and Tamil language versions soon to be released. With the launch of her children’s books, she hopes to encourage children to love and respect animals and understand different cultures while visiting various destinations through a fun read as each book is based in a new country. The books were published by Sarasavi Publishers.
Just prior to her launch in Sri Lanka, Dr. Fuentes was honoured by Top Shelf magazine, which named her a finalist at this year’s book awards. The books have already received various awards in the US and the UK.
Dr. Fuentes, who writes under the pen name R.F. Kristi, commenced writing children’s books in 2016. “Even as a child, my favourite pastime was reading. In addition, animals have always been a part of my life. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t own a cat or a dog. While working for UNESCO Paris, I had the urge to write for children, mainly to encourage them to appreciate animals and to consider animals as living, breathing beings with thoughts and feelings. I also learned about the benefits reaped by children growing up with animals. So, what better way to encourage children to love and appreciate animals than by reading adventure stories about animals.”
The launch saw a distinguished gathering in attendance. Ladies’ College’s former Principal Nirmalie Wickramasinghe was the Chief Guest, while Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK Manisha Gunasekara, Italian Deputy Ambassador to Sri Lanka Allegra Baistrocchi and Sarasavi Publishers Chairman H.D. Premasiri were also present.
The books’ Editor Amithi Alles Moragoda gave a short introduction, while Dilmani Warnasuriya, another Editor of the books, offered a short introduction of the author. Excerpts from these delightful books were read in English by Sahani Chandraratne, Annika and Mahela Silva, Ariana Alles and Yenal Fernando and the Sinhala excerpts were read by Indi Hewage and Nilasha Fernando. The evening concluded with refreshments and the signing of books by the author. As to why she chose cats as the subject of her maiden venture into the literary world, Dr. Fuentes said, “The intelligence of cats has always fascinated me, especially Inca, a Siberian kitten I had the good fortune of acquiring while in Paris. Cats are independent and intelligent. Watching Inca and Cara, a blue-eyed Siamese I had brought in as a companion for Inca, made me imagine the cat detective series. Not to neglect dogs; there are some smart and brave detective dogs also participating in the series.” She went on to say that encouraging children to read for pleasure and not only for passing exams would reap benefits for not merely the children themselves but society as a whole.
“The joy of children reading will not only broaden their horizons but aid them in having a better understanding of different cultures and understanding the glories of the universe. I believe parents, librarians and educators have a pivotal role to play in encouraging children to read more.”
The proceeds from the sale of the books will go entirely to animal welfare.
“I believe Sri Lanka, like many other countries, both developed and developing, needs to protect and care for its animal population. Since returning to Sri Lanka, I realised that there’s a greater need for not only educating people about animal welfare but also supporting, whenever possible, street animals in need of care.”
She feels that the education of the general public is key. Teaching by example is also relevant.
“It would be a dream if the Government would support animal welfare associations, both with funding as well as policy. Strong laws against cruelty and the abuse of animals should be vigilantly promulgated. I would like to encourage more sterilisation programs and also education programs about the need to care for animals.”
Dr. Fuentes hopes to continue the Inca Cat detective series. Each book in the series focuses on a different geographical location and a different culture with the aim of broadening the horizons of children.
“So far, the books have been based in Paris, London, Provence, Transylvania, Sri Lanka and in North and South Korea. Hopefully, the next will be based in Moscow and Saint Petersburg,” she said.
