Our Story: The Beginning of Loving Books

My name is Dinukshi Fernando, and I am a lawyer—but more importantly, I am a mother. My journey with Loving Books began because of my daughter, Minradha (Mini). Like many children, she sometimes felt scared at night, and I wanted to find a way to comfort her. That’s when I created a story about the greatest superhero, a character who would protect and guide her.

As I continued writing, I realized that I wanted to do more than just entertain her—I wanted to help her incorporate valuable Buddhist teachings into her life in a fun and relatable way. I kept writing more and more stories, always thinking about how to make these lessons meaningful for her.

During this time, I had the privilege of meeting the monks at Mahamewnawa. One of them, Ven. Sangha Bodhi Bhikkhu at the Polgahawela Asapuwa, played a crucial role in refining my work. He provided detailed feedback on how to improve the text, enhance the images, and even use AR tools to generate better visuals. His insights helped shape the way the stories came to life.

In October 2024, I published the first version of Loving Books, and to my surprise, it was very successful. However, I soon realized that children today need more than just text—they need excitement and interaction. That’s when I decided to bring the stories into the world of Augmented Reality (AR). With Mini as the narrator, these stories became an immersive experience for young readers.

Everything you see in our books—the writing and images—are my creations. But behind this project is a small, passionate team:

• Minradha (Mini) – My biggest inspiration and the voice behind our stories.
• A developer – Who helps manage the technical aspects, including our website.
• An admin assistant – Who keeps everything running smoothly.

But Loving Books is about more than just storytelling. 20% of our profits go to charity, as I believe in bringing joy into my own life by doing good deeds for others. This project is not only about gifting children the Dhamma in a fun and engaging way but also about using its success to support meaningful causes.

From a simple bedtime story to an interactive learning experience, Loving Books has grown into something truly special. And this is only the beginning. ✨