by Sunil (Soma) Munasinghe (Author), Vijay Mohan Kurup (Illustrator)
Serendib is the ancient name of the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka. The modern English word 'serendipity' - meaning an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident - is based on the name Serendib. The small stories in the book are about simple people and talking animals in pastoral settings confronting simple problems, with the solution lying within the story itself. Most Sri Lankan folk stories are hilarious rather than being morality tales, complementing the islanders' penchant for a searing sense of humour. Many folk stories feature talking animals. This aspect fits perfectly into Sri Lankan folklore because there was a belief that animals could talk at one time. The stories have been illustrated - with a touch of whimsy - by award-winning artist Vijay Mohan from India's prestigious J.J. School of Arts and who now lives in Oshawa, Ontario.