Two Stories, Two Journeys: Why I Wrote My Two New Books
Some books begin with an idea. Others begin with a moment.
For me, these two books began with moments—one on a quiet drive to work, and the other through a collection of experiences, observations, and stories that stayed with me long after they happened.
Today, I am honoured to unveil my two newest books: Who Pays My Teacher? and Raccoon and the Stinky King.
They are very different stories, but both carry messages that are deeply personal to me.
Today also marks a personal milestone: my seventh published book.
Seven books have taken me through a journey of imagination, persistence, discovery and learning. Each book has taught me something new about storytelling, about children, and about the kind of writer I want to become. From the classrooms of Joojo and the Toothless Boy to the adventures of Rabbital Kingdom, I have always been drawn to stories that carry meaning beyond the page.
Who Pays My Teacher?
I was driving to work one morning when I saw my former teacher, Ustaz Abdullah Junaid Abdul-Barrie.
I slowed down, drove closer to him and offered him a lift.
As we drove, we talked.
What stayed with me was not only what he said, but the way he spoke about his work. There was a quiet contentment in him. He seemed happy. Proud. At peace with what he had chosen to do.
He was a teacher—and he loved being one.
As I listened to him, memories began to surface. I thought about the teachers who had stood in front of classrooms, repeated lessons, corrected mistakes, encouraged difficult students and, sometimes without knowing it, changed the direction of a young person's life.
Before the journey ended, something inside me had shifted.
I called my brother and told him that I wanted to make a special visit to my Ustaz.
A few days later, I received the news that he had passed away.
I never got that opportunity.
That unfinished intention stayed with me.
Eventually, it became a book.
Who Pays My Teacher? is my way of saying what I wish I had said while there was still time:
Thank you.
It is a tribute to teachers everywhere—to those who teach in crowded classrooms and quiet village schools, in modern institutions, religious schools and universities; to those whose names remain in our memories and to those whose contributions may never be publicly recognised.
In the book, I mention some of the teachers who have made a significant impact on my life. But if your name is not among them, please do not feel forgotten.
I carry the influence of many teachers—from kindergarten through university.
A teacher may teach a lesson in a classroom and never know where that lesson will travel.
Years later, a former student may remember a sentence, a correction, a smile, a word of encouragement—or simply the feeling of being believed in.
That is the beauty of teaching.
The illustrations in Who Pays My Teacher? travel across different parts of the world, reflecting Africa, Asia, the Middle East and beyond. I wanted the book to be a small reminder that teachers everywhere deserve recognition and appreciation.
Because their work does not end when the school bell rings.
Sometimes, it continues in the lives of the people they taught.
Raccoon and the Stinky King
My second book, Raccoon and the Stinky King, began differently.
It grew from incidents I have experienced, stories I have encountered, and things I have observed in the lives of others.
I wanted to create a story that could entertain young readers while quietly inviting them to think about the world around them.
So I created a jungle, a shared harvest, a selfish king, a drought—and a raccoon who finds himself faced with a difficult question:
What happens when a community forgets that its survival depends on everyone?
The story takes young readers on an adventure while introducing them to important ideas reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It touches on:
Goal 1: No Poverty — ensuring that everyone can access basic needs.
Goal 2: Zero Hunger — making sure no one is left without food.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation — ensuring access to clean water and proper hygiene.
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities — creating a fairer world where everyone has opportunities.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production — using resources wisely and reducing waste.
Goal 13: Climate Action — taking action to address climate change and its effects.
But I did not want these ideas to feel like a classroom lesson.
I wanted children to see them through the story.
They see a harvest that should have fed everyone.
They see what happens when someone takes more than they need.
They see a community facing drought.
They see fear, scarcity and disagreement.
And they see what becomes possible when people choose cooperation over selfishness.
Under the shade of the baobab tree, Raccoon's journey becomes more than an adventure. It becomes a reminder that when resources become scarce, the strongest communities are not necessarily those with the most—but those willing to share, cooperate and make sure no one is left behind.
Two Books, Seven Journeys
Who Pays My Teacher? came from a goodbye I never got to say.
Raccoon and the Stinky King grew from observations about the world we live in and the kind of world we hope to leave behind.
One looks back with gratitude.
The other looks forward with hope.
But both books carry something I deeply believe in:
Stories can shape the way we see people, society and the world around us.
Seven books. Seven journeys.
Each one has been an act of hope, hope that somewhere, in a classroom, a home or a library, a child will open a page and find something that stays with them.
That is what keeps me writing.
As I unveil these two books, I do so with gratitude—to the teachers who shaped me, the people whose experiences inspired my writing, the readers who continue to encourage me, and everyone who believes that children's stories can carry messages far beyond their pages.
Some stories entertain.
Some stories teach.
Some stories preserve memories.
And some stories are written because there are things we simply cannot leave unsaid.
These two books are my way of saying them.
If you are a teacher, a parent, or someone who remembers a teacher who shaped your life, Who Pays My Teacher? is for you.
If you know a child who loves stories, adventure and discovering the world through imagination, Raccoon and the Stinky King is for them.
I invite you to explore both books, share them, and join me in celebrating the power of stories to inspire, teach, connect and leave something meaningful behind.
Seven books. Seven journeys. And, I hope, many more stories still to come.
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