Authors, illustrators explore power of rhymes for young readers

Sharjah 24: An author and an illustrator for children’s books explored why rhymes and vivid illustrations captivate young minds and foster a love for reading in them during the session “The Charm of Rhymes in Children’s Books” at the 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2025). The session moderated by Tasneem Zeyad, a teacher and author, had U.K-based writer Sital Gorasia Chapman and Palestinian illustrator Baraa Al Aawour discuss their works and their impact on children.

Rhymes create a bond between the child and the parent

“Rhymes create a bond between the child and the parent and are like a lullaby, deeply comforting. You can read a rhyming book over and over without getting bored,” stated Sital Gorasia Chapman, whose first book The Bedtime Boat is a visually stunning and calming bedtime tale that uses mindfulness techniques from yoga.

Chapman, who started her career as a banker and later as a yoga teacher, turned to writing when she had children of her own. “They are a constant inspiration and the way they talk, play or fight gives me ideas,” added Chapman, whose book was short-listed for Children’s Well-being Book of the Year in 2024. The illustrated book, which is meant to help children sleep, is about a boy called Chandan whose mother keeps a boat on his tummy and asks him to pretend it is sailing in the sea, rising and falling with his breath.

“I applied the yoga technique first on my children. Mindfulness is quite big now, and helps children relax in a chaotic world,” said the Indian-origin writer who read aloud the rhyming text. She credits her illustrator Anastasia Suvorova for the success of her book, and called it a 50:50 effort.

Chapman said the biggest challenge in writing was having the patience to write, perfect it and sell it. She said her banking had helped her to “get up early and finish a project” while yoga helped her to shut out background noises, focus and shape stories.

Rhyme is not linguistic ornamentation; it creates a complete world

“Rhyme is not linguistic ornamentation; it creates a complete world. Rhymes take children to another world and repetitions help them to remember things. It makes them feel he is in control of the book and not the author. So smart repetitions are very useful and gives the child the feeling that he is superman,” noted Baraa, a winner of the Etisalat Award for Children’s Literature, as she discussed her illustrations for a children’s storybook by Isra Kalash. The book which translates to Near the Tent, Under the Cloud told the stories of the children of Gaza in their tiny tents, wandering the streets of Nablus or tasting kunafa in Jaffa.

Baraa said she studies children’s psychology to help paint and think like a child. Her training with children has also come in handy. “Once upon a time is not just the beginning of a story, it is a preparation helping the child to relax,” added the illustrator who found the biggest challenge in repetition or avoiding monotony in scenes. For this, she makes it a point to diversify her shots and add new elements like a tree or a branch.

Taking place until May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF is organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA). This year’s agenda features 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations.