Book Nook - AMPLE House

AMPLE Publications is making its US debut with Girl Power, a book written by a nin-year-old author to describe sibling conflict and resolution. You can learn more about the publisher and their mission in this interview in Vanya Daryanani.

Tell us about AMPLE House. What is your core mission, and how does “Sister Love” reflect that mission?
AMPLE House was built on a simple belief: stories can shape people. Our philosophy is rooted in two concepts: Edu-Care and Communi-Care. Edu-Care is the idea that true education is about drawing out what already exists within a person — their awareness, empathy, creativity, confidence, and emotional intelligence. Communi-Care is about creating connection — helping people understand one another more deeply through shared human experiences. That intersection defines AMPLE House. We use storytelling, education, media, and experiences as tools for human development.

“Sister Love” reflects that perfectly because it doesn’t “teach” emotional intelligence in a didactic way. It allows children to experience emotions through story — conflict, frustration, empathy, reflection, communication, and repair. That’s Edu-Care in action: helping a child understand themselves. And that’s Communi-Care: helping them reconnect with others. So “Sister Love” is more than a children’s book. It’s storytelling designed to build emotional capability.

Why do you believe storytelling is one of the most effective tools for emotional development?

Because stories create emotional recognition. Children rarely connect deeply with lectures or instructions. They connect with experiences, characters, feelings, and moments that feel familiar. A story allows a child to safely explore difficult emotions — anger, jealousy, sadness, guilt, empathy — without feeling judged.

Advice can be forgotten. But emotional experiences stay with us. That’s why storytelling is such a powerful developmental tool.

Many children’s books are educational. What makes “Sister Love” different?

Most educational children’s books explain emotions from the outside looking in. “Sister Love” allows children to experience emotions with the story. That difference matters. This book was written by a child, not constructed by an adult interpreting childhood. That gives it authenticity. Children know when something feels emotionally real. They don’t feel like they’re being instructed. They feel understood. And that creates a much deeper connection.

Why is it important to amplify young and diverse voices?
Because storytelling should reflect reality, not a filtered version of it. Young voices bring emotional immediacy. They express things as they are felt, not as they are interpreted. Diverse voices bring context and different ways of seeing, understanding, and navigating the world. When those two come together, the result is storytelling that feels honest and relevant. This isn’t about representation as a checkbox. It’s about accuracy and ensuring that the full spectrum of human experience is actually visible in the stories we tell.

What gap do you believe currently exists in children’s publishing?

There is still a major gap between literacy development and emotional development. Many books focus on reading ability while overlooking emotional processing, communication, empathy, and relationship repair. But children are navigating emotionally complex environments earlier than ever before. Publishing has an opportunity and a responsibility to create stories that help children understand both language and themselves.

What drew you to Naina’s manuscript, especially given that she is such a young author?
It was the honesty. The manuscript didn’t feel constructed or overthought. It felt lived. There was no attempt to teach or simplify emotions for an audience. It simply presented a moment as it is experienced by a child. That level of emotional clarity is rare.

Most children’s books are written from an adult’s interpretation of childhood. This was different. It came directly from within that experience. And that shift creates immediate connection, because readers recognize the truth in it. Age becomes irrelevant when the voice is authentic. 

“Sister Love” emphasizes empathy and communication and repair. Why are these themes especially relevant right now?

Because we are raising children in a world where interaction is constant, but understanding is often missing. There is more communication than ever – through technology, schools, and social environments – but very little emphasis on how to process emotions, navigate conflict, and repair relationships. That gap shows up early. Empathy, communication, and repair are not secondary skills. They are foundational. If children understand that conflict is natural, that emotions are valid, and that relationships can be repaired, it changes how they engage with people for the rest of their lives. These are not “soft skills.” They are life infrastructure.

Why is it important for children to see stories written from a child’s perspective? What do you think adults might learn from reading a story written by a child?
When a story is told from a child’s authentic perspective, it creates recognition. Children don’t feel like they are being taught; they feel like they are being understood. And that distinction is what builds confidence, emotional awareness, and connection to the story. For adults, the value is equally important. It removes assumption and replaces it with insight. It shows how children actually experience situations without the filters adults tend to apply. In many ways, these stories do two things at once: They validate the child, and they recalibrate the adult.

What role do books still play in a world dominated by screens and short-form content?
Books still create something screens rarely do: sustained emotional reflection. Short-form content trains reaction. Stories train understanding. A book allows a child to sit with emotion, perspective, consequence, and empathy over time. That process develops imagination, emotional awareness, patience, and deeper thinking. The role of books has not diminished. If anything, it has become more important.

How do you balance commercial publishing with social impact?
We don’t see those as competing priorities. When storytelling creates genuine emotional, educational, and human value, commercial relevance becomes stronger. The goal is not to choose between impact and sustainability. The goal is to build models where both reinforce each other. That’s how meaningful storytelling scales responsibly.