Once upon a sunny morning, not so far back, in the land of letters and storytelling, in my writing office at home, a peculiar idea sprouted in the corner of my mind. It was a tale that needed to be told, filled with clucking laughter, brimming with joy, and interwoven with the golden threads of friendship. It’s the children’s story of ‘Cranky the Camel and Barnyard’s Got Talent.’
Creating a children’s book is not unlike planting a garden. Each character is a seed that, when nurtured with love and care, grows into a story that can shade, shelter, and feed the imagination of our little ones. And just like any flourishing garden, something I witnessed with my father in his life, the essence of this growth often lies in companionship—plants side by side, helping each other reach for the sun. That is precisely what the story of Cranky and the farm animals aims for, and it becomes a testament to the power and beauty of friendship.
The adventure begins with Cranky, a camel with a heart as big as his humps yet with a talent as elusive as a desert mirage. Enter Max, a dog whose zeal for life is as contagious as his love for music. He’s a pintsized four-legged friend with a cello and a dream. When they cross paths, it’s a symphony of the unexpected, a melody of two unlikely friends setting the stage on a farm that resembles a carnival of animal antics.
