Sonya Rehman, art and culture journalist, launched her first children’s book – Wolfie – at Tagh’eer, a creative space for musicians, artists and authors in Lahore. Suitable for ages nine and above, the book follows the story of a scared little dog who escapes a cruel dog farm in a bid to come back to rescue his furry friends.
The book, which the author wrote during the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, highlights subjects such as animal empathy and self-belief. Published by Zuka Books publishing platform, with the cover designed by illustrator Maryam Akram, the book has been received with much excitement ever since its official release. “I’m so happy Wolfie’s out in the world. I loved writing this story, especially because it’s based on one of my four rescue dogs,” she said.
“I hope through Wolfie I’m able to make a change – no matter how small – in animal welfare in Pakistan. My focus is the young generation, hence a children’s book. I’m confident that a change will come because children today are far more sensitized towards animal empathy than the previous generations.” Speaking with Nashmia Haroon, a multidisciplinary visual artist and founder of Tagh’eer, she stated that ever since she launched her space, Tagh’eer has been hosting a number of cultural activities in Lahore to facilitate those without a platform to showcase their work.
“When Sonya Rehman approached with the idea of a little dog who shows what animals suffer here in Pakistan and how – like all living creatures that deserve love and the right to exist on earth alongside humans – how could I say no? I am confident Wolfie and the characters will connect with children and usher in a new era of children’s literature,” according to Mehr Husain, founder of the Zuka Book that was established as a platform to create a cultural disruption.
“A children’s book is an exciting project to launch because we’ve been hosting all kinds of meaningful workshops for children in Lahore, particularly centered on experience and self-expression. So a children’s book where children can meet the author and understand the writing process was a very appealing idea I’m so glad we were the first to launch ‘Wolfie’ in Pakistan,” said Nashmia Haroon, also an independent curator, and visual artist.
It is pertinent to mention here that Wolfie follows the journey and adventures of a dog and is themed around animal kindness and self-belief. “I wanted to make children happy about reading a book. I think we don’t have a lot of books that have Pakistani or Muslim names,” she said, adding that this was one area that was completely untapped. Wolfie has been receiving amazing feedback from the society, she said. She is planning to write a series of children’s books over the next couple of years.
