Sharjah24: The 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has been hosting a variety of workshops for children of all ages. Children as young as five were in for a treat at a storytelling session where, instead of listening to just one story, the host recited two tales and provided colours and illustrations related to the stories for colouring.
“Short stories with moral lessons are a wonderful way for children to learn valuable life truths in a fun and engaging manner. I consciously choose moral stories for children of this age group to impart values such as honesty, kindness, and tenacity,” said Tasneem Hamad, a volunteer who loves spending time with children. Tasneem has taken a week’s annual leave from her job in the finance sector to spend time with little ones at the book fair.
The session, Crocodile Lake, held in Arabic, attracted children as young as five and was bustling with interaction. Tasneem kept the children engaged as she animatedly narrated the age-old story of a crocodile and a monkey, whose friendship comes to an unfortunate end when the crocodile foolishly agrees to kill the monkey and present his heart to his beloved wife as a meal.
“Should the crocodile have tricked the monkey?” Tasneem asked, to which the children roared back, “No!”
Six-year-old Sara from Syria enjoyed the story and began colouring as soon as it ended. So did Sarah Mahmood, a five-and-a-half-year-old from India, who chose pink—her favourite colour—as the shade for the monkey’s skin. “I like the monkey more than the crocodile,” she said gleefully.
Sessions like this one have been meticulously planned and brought to life by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), which collaborates with numerous companies and volunteers passionate about teaching and working with young children. “I reached out to the SBA to discuss the structure of this workshop before receiving their approval,” said Tasneem, who is also a voice-over artist and enjoys engaging with young audiences through her social media channels. “I read short stories for children on my social media too,” she added.
Organised by the SBA, the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair will run until 17 November at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, this year’s SIBF features over 2,520 publishers from 112 countries, along with a host of activities and programmes to entertain and engage visitors of all ages. For more information, visit www.sibf.com.
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