Dreamy bed time stories are a norm, but a spirited, animated story telling session on a bright, temperate evening, by the lake, with a large gathering of children and adults can be as enjoyable.
One Day, One Story the annual book-reading of Pratham Books that celebrates International Literacy Day (8th September), was conducted at Puttenahalli Lake by PNLIT. It was a fun-filled evening of energetic story-telling by Sonali Sathaye and Vijaya Balasubramaniam, who peppered their narrative with music, improvisation and theatrics. There were two stories told - Gappu Can't Dance written by Menaka Raman and illustrated by Krishna Chandan, and The Weightlifting Princess written by Sowmya Rajendran and illustrated by Debasmita Dasgupta. Both are published by Pratham Books.
Sonali kept the spirits soaring with an exceptional story of a princess who broke tropes and gender stereotypes with her passion for weight lifting! The young audience enthusiastically participated by flexing their muscles and lifting their friends, followed by more funky, lively music and feisty dancing.
Vijaya and Sonali tapped into the power of story-telling effectively, teaching us about life and ourselves and how humanity, equality, empathy and respect are important in relationships. No wonder they say that hearing a good story brings out the best in us! It was altogether an enjoyable, memorable evening.
- Vijayalakshmi, PNLIT volunteer
Pic credits - Nupur Jain
