Retired Civil Servant and writer, PG Punchihewa has concluded his popular “Mahi Pancha” series of children’s stories with the seventh publication, “Mahi Raja Retires” illustrated like its predecessors by the late Sybil Wettasinghe, perhaps her last published sketches.

A winner of the State Literary Award in 2002 for the best Children’s Book, the author, who retired from the Public Service as Secretary to the Ministry of Coconut Industries, and later served as the head of the Jakarta-based Asian Coconut Community (subsequently Asia Pacific Coconut Community) for many years.

Punchihewa is a prolific writer with over two dozen books of chidren’s stories, both in Sinhala and English, works of fiction including a novel in English and memoirs in both languages, a travel book and some research volumes. He has also published some of his work in Indonesia.

Along with the concluding volume of the “Mahi Pancha” series, a new book Jathaka Stories Retold, co-authored by Punchihewa and Mallika Karunaratne has just been released. This book, primarily aimed at children would also be enjoyed by adults who would profit from re-reading them comprise 32 carefully selected naratives from the Jathakapothvahanse.

The authors say in a foreword that their intention was to contribute towards effectively countering or slowing the pace of moral degradation of society. The stories have been selected to make them attractive to the child and adult alike and impress parents and teachers – mentors of the child – to stess “the universal values of love, kindness, honesty, reasonableness, self-control and others” from their childhood.

Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Studies, Dr. Asanga Tilakaratne of the Colombo University, has warmly commended the book as one authored by “mature, experienced, learned and motivated” writers to bring out the perennial value and ancient wisdom of the Jataka stories.

He says that though the book is particularly aimed at young adolescents and groups the stories would benefit readers of all ages.