• Sunday, May 05, 2024

Attend This Day-Long Interactive Book Festival for Youngsters in Mumbai!

Experience the magic of storytelling at Mumbai's Peek A Book Festival! Join interactive sessions, author book launches, and immersive literary adventures for children.
on Feb 21, 2024
Attend This Day-Long Interactive Book Festival for Youngsters in Mumbai! | Frontlist

A one-day immersive literary festival will allow children to participate in various stories while exploring language through art.

Children are invited to dress in full character for the third edition of the Children's Literature Festival Peek A Book, a one-day event slated for this Saturday at the city's newest children's museum, the Museum of Solutions. This year's version, titled 'Jump into a Book', according to curator Lubaina Bandukwala, is all about making reading immersive and interesting for young readers.

Children enjoy participating in activities. As a result, each session scheduled with different writers will provide an immersive experience [inspired by the authors' most recent book] through dancing, humour, art, workshops, and more," she continues.

While most books picked up by Bandukwala for the fest were published within the last 12 months, the highlight of the fest will be four book launches in the city by prominent writers including Ashok Rajagopalan (for the fifth part of the Gajapati Kulapati series, Gajapati Kulapati Kweee); Anushka Ravishankar (for her science series, Smarty Pants); Anand Neelakantan (for Mahi, The Elephant Who Flew Over the Blue Mountains); and archaeologist and Sahitya Akademi Bal Puraskar.

Neelakantan's session will focus on the necessity of introducing literature to youngsters. "Reading is the only method to teach kids how to be sensitive," he argues during a quick phone contact with this writer. "Movies and shows spoon-feed youngsters; they are passive forms of acquiring content. When you read a novel, you become into the character and the music producer; the cast and crew." He will also read a few words from his most recent work, which he claims is relatable to both youngsters and adults. "It's an allegorical book. For youngsters, it is an entertaining story that teaches them about chasing dreams, the environment, and the importance of animal care. For adults, it's a multi-layered political satire."

Neelakantan's session will focus on the necessity of introducing literature to youngsters. "Reading is the only method to teach kids how to be sensitive," he argues during a quick phone contact with this writer. "Movies and shows spoon-feed youngsters; they are passive forms of acquiring content. When you read a novel, you become into the character and the music producer; the cast and crew." He will also read a few words from his most recent work, which he claims is relatable to both youngsters and adults. "It's an allegorical book. For youngsters, it is an entertaining story that teaches them about chasing dreams, the environment, and the importance of animal care. For adults, it's a multi-layered political satire."

This festival's first iteration took place in 2016, and its focus has not altered. Bandukwala argues that several excellent works by these authors are frequently overlooked among the famous titles of international novels. "Many children are not readers because they have not been exposed to reading or have not discovered a book that interests them. I've discovered that if people meet the authors, connect with them, and can put a name to or recall a memory from these books, they are more willing to read. As a result, we have a diversified selection that will appeal to a wide range of ages, from 10 and up," she concludes.

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