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Where did we get the name's
Kamran and Mapa?
Kamran is derived
from a word in farsi "kamrava" ~ to be successful, fortunate..
Typically, when someone begins a journey or difficult task, one may say
to him or her to be "kamrava." As far as we know Kamran is the
name of one who is successful and fortunate. We have also heard in some
circles that it means one who is happy. This would come as no surprise,
as success and fortune often come hand in hand with joy.
Mapa is derived for the common
names small children give to there parents ~ Mama and Papa. Together they
MamaPapa or Mapa!
Q: How does Kamran fit so many things in his
pouch?
A: Usually, only female kangaroo's have a pouch. They use this pouch to
carry their children when they are young. Kamran has a special pouch.
His initial 'K' is sewn on the front and it's made of elastic. Elastic
is stretchable so he may carry many, many things inside. When he travels
with Mapa over the ocean he carries peanut butter and jelly, sun-glasses
and a inflatable rubber, raft to sleep in.
Q:
How does Mapa learn to fly?
A: Mapa is really a big clown. She loves to have fun with her friends and is very
talented. When she's performing a show for all her animal and children friends she uses
her nose and tail to spin hoops. One time she begins to spin her nose and tail so quickly,
the hoops fly off and she begins to fly into the air. This is the first time Kamran sees
Mapa.
Q: Why can't Kamran fly?
A: Kamran is interested in everything around him. He's always jumping here and there to
look for different discoveries. He can jump higher than most kangaroo's. He can even jump
high enough to pick the best apples and coconuts from trees. When he meets Mapa, after her
first flight, he decides it will be best for both of them if he is the pilot and Mapa
provides the transportation.
Q: How old are Kamran and Mapa?
A: This question has not been answered. Some people say they must be between 5 and 15
years old. But, as you may know, animal life times are different than human lives. We may
only say that Kamran and Mapa are learning and growing. It sometimes seems like they will
never stop learning more about life.
Q: Will you write more about Kamran and Mapa?
A: This question is up to you. If children want to know more about where Kamran and Mapa
may travel next, we will certainly try to tell them.
Q: How do you come up with ideas for Kamran and Mapa?
A: Kamran and Mapa is written by a husband (myself) and wife team, Marc and Diana. Diana
has a special gift that allows her to remember her dreams. For her, Kamran and Mapa are
like her children. They visit her almost every night. Unfortunately, I can't always type
as fast as she can dream.
Q: Where are Kamran and Mapa's parents?
A: Kamran and Mapa are both orphans. This is one of the reasons they are free to
travel and seem to make friends so easily. Everywhere they travel they seem to find new
friends that make them feel at home.
Q: How does Mapa travel to Australia?
A: Mapa does not learn to fly until she visits Australia. We're not sure how she travels
there, but she must have taken a boat or a plane. Australia is a large continent
surrounded by water and Mapa travels there from her home in Thailand. Our First
Travel Book starts with her already in Australia and she meets Kamran in the
first chapter.
Q: Where do Lini and her friends come from?
A: The story of Kunda and Lini is one of our favorites. It took us 4 chapters just to tell
you how they came together. Diana is from Russia where she has given the story of Kunda
and Lini to scientists, chemists, biologists and physicists. It takes 3 days to tell
grown-ups.
Lini's first home was really our Moon. At one time, the Moon was
alive just like our Earth. Now, the Moon is sort of dead. Diana says she's not really
dead, but like in a deep, deep sleep. The Moon watches over us like a wonderful
grandmother. Some animals and people are more sensitive to the Moon. They may act strange
or do funny things when the Moon is full.
Q: How old were you when you started to write?
A: Diana says anyone may write at any age. She started when she was very young. She used
to go to the library for adventure books and novels from the time she was 6 years old.
Since Diana's first language is Russian, I help her translate the stories into English. We
started writing Kamran and Mapa in 1997, while we traveled in India.
Q: How did you decide what Kamran and Mapa would look like?
A: This is a question best asked of our illustrator, Sanukta Shrestha. He is a
talented young artist from Nepal. We gave him Kamran and Mapa stories when the first book
was only half finished. He read the stories and started to feel what Kamran and Mapa must
be like. He first drew Kamran and Mapa from many different angles. He studied them and
prepared sketches. When we saw the initial creation, we were very happy. Once Kamran and
Mapa had forms, we were really excited to finish their first book.
Q: How does Tiki the dolphin protect the dinosaur eggs at
the bottom of the ocean?
A: Tiki is one of our favorite characters. Look for him to appear in future stories.
Protecting dinosaur eggs for a future time for dinosaur to visit the earth is only one of
his important jobs. Most kids know that dolphins are very clever. Diana once swam so far
into the ocean with dolphins that a helicopter had to be sent to rescue her. The pilots
where not very happy. Some people know that dolphins are also very sensitive. They know
when the Earth is feeling sick. At these times, we may experience earthquakes and
volcanoes may erupt. That's when Tiki and other dolphins look after the dinosaur eggs.
They make sure that the eggs are safe when our Earth trembles.
Q: Is Chryst a very old turtle?
A: Chryst is certainly very wise. Maybe he gained this wisdom from being very old, or
maybe he receives wisdom from his many experiences while while flying during sleep. Chryst
is really a tortoise. A tortoise my live over 300 years, longer than almost any other
creature on our Earth. A tortoise breathes only 4 times in a minute compared to18 times
for an adult human.
Q: Is Chryst related to the sea turtle Kamran and Mapa meet
in the ocean?
A: As we mention above, Chryst is a tortoise. The old turtle in the sea is a sea turtle.
Since Chryst's lives in the Terai area of Nepal, where there is no ocean, it is not very
likely they may know each other. It seems that Chryst connects with Tiki the dolphin when
flying in dreams, so maybe Chryst knows the sea-turtle as well.
Q: I had a dream last night about a diamond in the sky.
Could this be the same diamond that Kamran and Mapa saw when they left Australia?
A: It is interesting to know you dreamed of a diamond in the sky last night and now we are
speaking of Kamran and Mapa seeing a diamond in the sky today. Perhaps this is the same
diamond. You may read their story and see what you feel? Is it the same diamond in your
dream, or is it a different one? |