Before the end of 2023, I published Jiya’s Stars and the Legend of the Mensa Constellation. Inspired by themes of bullying, the story follows Jiya’s father as he creates a legend about the Mensa Constellation. This beautifully illustrated book also offers information about the Mensa Constellation, the importance of dark skies, and ways to prevent light pollution.
Jiya is a young girl who feels sad and scared after witnessing her friend being bullied at school. To cheer her up, her father takes her and her mother to the Himalayan mountainside. There, Jiya finds comfort in nature—especially in the clarity of the dark skies—and in The Legend of the Mensa Constellation, a story her father created for her.
The legend tells of four mountains, where Hera, the Greek Goddess of Constellations, frequently visits. Among them, she favors the mountainside of Gamma the most because it is peaceful, allowing her to clearly visualize her celestial creations.
However, the other three mountains mock Gamma for lacking their lush forests, precious stones, and enchanting waterfalls. One day, when Hera hears Gamma crying, she punishes the three mountains by hurling balls of fire at them, devastating their land. Despite their mistreatment of him, Gamma takes pity on his brothers. He pleads with Hera to stop the fire and sends animals from his forest to help restore their plants and trees. Moved by Gamma’s kindness and love for his brothers, Hera creates the Mensa Constellation in his honor.
Inspired by her father’s story, Jiya returns to school with newfound courage. She stands up for her friend against the bully and draws a star to make her smile. Every night before bed, she creates her own constellation using paper stars, which her parents hang in her room. Through her father’s tale, Jiya learns that kindness and love can make a person shine.
This book is available in both paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon.