The Blue Ostrich

By Shivani Kochak

The Blue Ostrich, stories of adventure and wonder, is a collection of simple yet profound short stories and poems, written to inspire children to imagine and dream big while holding on to joy, kindness, confidence, gratitude, consideration and a positive attitude.
From tales starring a singing ostrich, a heroic giraffe, a lonely dragon and an honest king, young readers can expect to be delighted and transported into a world of adventure and learn lessons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zorba Books
• Release date: Oct 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9789358963823

Shivani Kochak

Shivani Kochak is an Indian educator, author and community organizer passionate about teaching, writing and fine arts. She completed her Master in Interior Design at the College of Architecture in India, followed by specialist courses in fine arts from London, UK. With her heart always being in education, she has spent the better half of the last three decades educating children in various schools in India and training teachers in computer software to make them future-ready.The author has made free-hand sketches throughout The Blue Ostrich stories of adventure and wonder in order to kindle the imagination and give wings to your child’s creativity. This is the first set of short stories. You can follow her for more details on X, previously Twitter, @shivanikochak and on Instagram at: shivanikochak.

Book preview

The Blue Ostrich

A blue ostrich named Speedy lived in a vast grassland. Speedy was known for his bright blue feathers, blue crown, yellow legs and his loud voice. He was very talkative. He would whistle and growl all day and sometimes he would hoot and hiss into the night. He loved to sing and he would do so at the top of his lungs.

The other animals in the grassland were not used to Speedy’s loud singing, as they had never heard anything like it before. They often joked that they could hear Speedy from miles away and that his variety of sounds was so loud that it could even wake up the most sleepy animals like koalas, sloths and jungle cats.

One day, a group of owls moved into the grasslands. The owls were sensitive to loud sounds and they were disturbed by the noise made by Speedy. The owls complained to the other animals about Speedy’s loud singing and they asked them to make him stop.

The other animals didn’t want to upset Speedy, but they also didn’t want to upset the owls. They decided to talk to Speedy about his loud singing, and they told him, Sweetheart, tone it down.

At first, Speedy was hurt and offended, he thought the other animals didn’t appreciate his singing. But then he realized that his loud singing was disrupting the owls’ sleep and he went to them and apologized for his behaviour.

Speedy decided to find a new way to express himself and his love for singing, so he started to hum softly instead. The owls were pleased and grateful, and Speedy was happy that he could still express himself while being considerate to the owls’ needs. He also improved his other qualities like running, and over time he became the champion in the Savannah. With his good behaviour, all animals in the grasslands became his friends.

The moral of the story:

Be considerate towards others. Learn to live with others in harmony.

Poem on the Blue Ostrich

Ostrich blue, with feathers bright,

And legs that run so fast,

A bird of beauty with all her might,

In the savannah that is vast.

With every sway and every fluff,

It preens and struts its stuff,

A wonderful sight of grace and puff,

That for us is simply not enough.

Ostrich blue stands tall and proud,

With its long neck held high,

A sight to see, although loud,

A lovely sight from the sky.

It’s a joy to watch it run,

With its long yellow legs and big feet,

A land bird, its nature’s pun,

Through rain, snow and sleet.

It’s not just a bird, but a wonder,

A giant of the earth,

With its presence, we’re in awe and ponder,

It gives us joy, with no dearth.

My dear friend blue ostrich,

With your bright feathers to this date,

Please run and continue to stretch,

But please also be considerate.

Butter Biscuits for Jerry

Jerry was a mischievous mouse who lived in a small village near Akola in Maharashtra. Jerry was always on the lookout for something delicious to eat, and he had particular fondness for butter biscuits.

One day, Jerry overheard the villagers talking about a bakery in the village that made the most delicious butter biscuits. Jerry couldn’t resist the temptation and decided to sneak into the bakery to taste the butter biscuits himself.

When he finally made it to the bakery, he was greeted with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked butter biscuits. Jerry couldn’t contain his excitement and quickly began to stuff as many butter biscuits as he could into his