As early as first grade, one of Janna Gohar s teachers at Cairo American College dubbed her the Queen of Details. Gohar seems to enjoy the title, and certainly lives up to it.
Early on, her natural flair for storytelling was obvious. Even before they began learning to read stories in her class, Gohar was already coming up with stories about Christmas and Santa Claus.
At age 10, Gohar is probably the youngest Egyptian to have published a book. Released last week, “Sharktanic is about “sharks who board a great ship like Titanic, the writer said.
Gohar, who started writing at the first grade, pointed to the Lizzie McGuire series, based on the Disney TV series about a middle-school girl of the same name and also said she enjoyed the book “Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of School. A blend of the goodie-goodie Lizzie and naughty school kid has certainly influenced Gohar’s tale about a band of sharks boarding a shark-shaped Titanic.
The first chapter introduces the readers to the wild world, with sharks that rush to board the ship “like a herd of sheep running away from a starving wolf and food that disappears “as quickly as the cheetah runs.
The following chapter features a more human world, in which sharks order in bed or in the breakfast area, and receive polite notes.
Janna’s favorite illustration was in the “The Ball, a chapter in which the sharks do not display model behavior.
The writer giggles when her mother Nevine El-Guindy, who guided the interview, mentions a scene where sharks rejoice in havoc.
While James Cameron’s movie “Titanic was about “one person risking life for another, said Gohar, in her book “everyone wants to stay alive. It’s every man [or rather shark] for himself.
Along with her trademark descriptive writing, Gohar also reveals an ease in conjured-up comparisons to illustrate ideas in her forthcoming book, “World War Three: Cats and Dogs.
“If you have a bully at school, he may think ‘I’m doing a good job of bullying him’ but if you just act normal, he gets bored. It is around this principle that the cat from Iraq, Ishtar, and the dog from the US, Steve, decide to counter violence with tolerance, having taken on the task of stopping the war between cats and dogs.
Among other virtues, Gohar stressed that it was important to “think before you do, illustrating this principle with the example, “if I do my homework, I’ll get good grades.
Gohar’s ability to find comparisons in the animal and human world is perhaps a result of the creativity fostered by homeroom teacher, Brenda Petrescue.”My teacher said, ‘Put yourself in other person’s shoes,’ said Gohar, who characterizes sharks in “Sharktanic and their world “without judgment.
True to her name, Petrescue – who encourages students to remember her as “a woman who goes out at night and rescues pets – tickles children’s imagination. Gohar’s forthcoming book of virtues is inspired from a thick “Book of Virtues read by Petrescue to her class.
Care is evident in every aspect of the book’s presentation, illustrated by Janna’s older sister Nadia Gohar, with layout from her brother Nour Gohar. The atmosphere of the simple yet original – “the sky was still orangey pink – is well-delivered in color.
With at least a touch of color on every page, chapter illustrations are also repeated in black-and-white for young readers to color in.
“My idea! says Gohar, proudly.
Janna’s brother, Nour, suggested a square instead of rectangular format for the book, which would be more appealing to children, and also insisted on copyright and dedication pages.
Apparently, there is the secret formula to becoming a writer, and to breaking a record while you’re at it. Not surprisingly for someone about to write a book on virtues, the answer is, “Make yourself a goal, and don’t be lazy. Gohar has already finished with the text of “World War Three and is pondering whether to illustrate it herself.
Many tales lie buried inside the brain of this articulate 10-year old, oscillating between virtues and merriment.
– Since its launch, “Sharktanic has sold 88 copies at Kotob Khan alone. Copies can also be found at the Diwan bookstores. More information about the book and the author can be found at http://www.sharktanic.com. Site designed by Nadia Shibiny and her daughter Salma. All proceeds of the book’s sales will go to charity.
