PVPF 2024

Interview With Asha Nehemiah, author of The Adventures of Mooli and The Bully on Wheels

There’s adventure, there’s suspense and it is fun from start to finish with no moralising whatsoever.
on May 13, 2023

Interview With Asha Nehemiah, author of The Adventures of Mooli: The Blue-legged Alien

Asha Nehemiah writes books with the idea of helping children fall in love with books and reading. Her books feature characters who make you smile getting into hilarious and wacky adventures. She has written for children ages 3 years to 12 years and her published work spans picture books, early literacy books, books for emerging readers. chapter books, middle-grade fiction and short stories.
Her books are well loved by children, parents and educators for their exciting plots and zany humour. Her fiction also incorporates issues such as the need for inclusion, diversity and gender parity. Some of her best loved books include The Adventures of Mooli series, The Mystery of the Silk Umbrella, The Grand Chapati Contest, Trouble with Magic, The Mystery of the Secret Hair Oil Formula, Granny’s Sari, The Rajah’s Moustache.

Frontlist: How did you come up with the concept of "WAYOUTS: World's As Yet Original, Untried Tricks and Stunts," and what inspired you to include it in the story?

Asha: Children always come up with the most unique ideas. And being part of a competition is always fun. This was an irresistible combination for a book. To make the series more contemporary, I decided to include a website on the lines of a book of world records. The difference is that the prize is awarded, not for doing something better or faster, but for performing tricks and stunts that are ‘original’ and ‘untried’. I knew that the concept of children being given the freedom to think of wayout and innovative ideas would appeal to the reader.

Frontlist: What do you think sets "The Adventures of Mooli and The Bully on Wheels" apart from other children's books?

Asha: There’s adventure, there’s suspense and it is fun from start to finish with no moralising whatsoever. The parents in the book are quite special too. They are a diverse bunch from a conservative tie-wearing banker to a cool work-from-home dad who plays the guitar and writes computer code. Mr George, the genius father becomes the children’s main companion in their adventures. Yet all of the four parents give the children the freedom to explore and try out unusual stunts even though they are occasionally quite annoyed with having their lives disrupted with the children’s obsession with winning a prize on WAYOUTS. I wish more of us adults would be like the parents in the Mooli series.

Frontlist: The book features some creative and wacky ideas from Mooli and Supriya, such as Toothpaste Art with a Twist. How did you develop these ideas, and were any of them inspired by your childhood experiences?

Asha: Some of the ideas were inspired by the tricks and stunts tried by children in my family – my nieces and nephews. And some were just ideas I wished I could try myself.

Frontlist: The Adventures of Mooli and The Bully on Wheels deal with themes of friendship and bullying. Why do you think it's important for children's literature to address these themes?

Asha: The theme of friendship is a strong element right through this series. Two children whose mothers are best friends form a strong bond despite being very different people with widely different interests. In Book 2, bullying is introduced as a theme because Surpriya is targeted by Harsha, a bully in her school. Both children pool ideas to take on the bully. It is important for children’s books to address the issues that children deal with – be it bullying, other forms of abuse, pressure from peers or parental expectations, hatred, intolerance and so on. When it is done as a natural part of the story (as I have tried to do) the book engages the reader without lecturing them. If the themes chosen by writers overshadow the story, the books, in my opinion, become less engaging. Books are a safe space for readers to encounter ideas and events that are sources of worry and stress for them.

Frontlist: This is the second book in the series. How did you approach writing a sequel and keeping the story fresh while maintaining the characters' core personalities?

Asha: I found writing a series very challenging even though I was the one who suggested the idea to my publishers, Scholastic. I had to keep in mind that the reader would begin with any book in the series and that each of the books had to work well as a stand-alone. I had to think of subtle ways to introduce important information about the main characters without making it repetitive for those readers who might read all the books sequentially. I also tried to give each of the parents a prominent role in the different books. In each of the books, one of the parents assumes a more significant role and we get to hear about that character’s life and work. So in one book it is the home-baker, in another the doctor and so on.

Frontlist: As an author with a background in education, what do you think is the role of children's literature in promoting literacy and a love of reading among young people?

Asha: I have begun to see myself as a partner in the important process of literacy and enjoyment of reading. Children read their story books repeatedly and with pleasure and this practise is an important component in developing the whole range of reading skills.

Children’s literature, as opposed to English Language Teaching materials like text books and reading cards, allows children to practise their reading skills, get immersed in fictional worlds, meet characters they may never otherwise interact with. All in a natural way that is pleasurable. Books are also a wonderful way for parents to bond with their children as they read together.

Frontlist: The book is part of a series. Can you give us a sneak peek into what readers can expect from future books in the series?

Asha: We ended the series with three books and the children finally winning a prize on Wayouts – albeit in a most unexpected way. Another interesting aspect of the series is the way the children handle disappointment when their entries are rejected. They don’t give up and instead just bounce back with wackier, more unusual ideas.