Showing posts with label Pratham Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pratham Books. Show all posts

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Report on the International Literacy Day celebration at Puttenahalli Lake with PNLIT, Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books

Magical lands, extraordinary castles, quaint country roads, powerful heroes, ferocious beasts,  angelic fairies and more are all possible in the realm of stories and storytelling. And to bring this to life today ( Sep 9th) , Snehadhara Foundation was at Puttenahalli Lake for the 'One Day One Story' event organised in collaboration with PNLIT and Pratham Books to celebrate the International Literacy Day, marking our 10th year of this event together.

Children, parents, passerbys and all joined us at the beautiful gazebo nestled at the corner of the Puttenahalli lake. The calm waters, serene green scapes with quacking ducks and chirping birds would be our home for an hour of storytelling with drama, song, dance and play. Two beautiful stories were showcased this year Hakeem's Hiccups and Hello Sun. From the Hakeem plagued with a case of the never ending hiccups to the little boy's endless bright sunny smiles, the Snehadhara team enlivened the pages of the storybook and drew the audience into their world.

The adorable audience of little tots and big tots experienced their own transformation as hesitant "hello-s" turned to tentative imitations and the end, any inhibitions seemed to fly away as full blown cheers with initiatives to call out, sing, dance and hop along with people they had met just a few minutes ago! This space that drew them all in led to them opening up to each other, coming together in such seamless ways marking a new experience of inclusion through the arts.

Here's a peak at the absolute magic at the lake today!
Write up credits: Vibha Bhat








Photo credits - Ramu

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Celebrate International Literacy Day 2021

8th September 2021 - We will be celebrating the International Literacy Day with Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books by hosting an online interactive session for children aged 10 years and below. Event details are attached below.

Pratham Books' stories this year are Satya, Watch Out! written by Yamini Vijayan and illustrated by Vishnu M Nair for younger childrenand Puchku Seeks a Song, a Level 3 book written by Deepanjana Pal and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe for older children.

Entry is free but registration is a must
So do register here - https://bit.ly/2Y9wW0T

The registered email ids will get Zoom meeting ID. For any queries, contact pnlit.events@gmail.com .



Saturday, August 22, 2020

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT, Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books

Our annual storytelling event goes online!

We are delighted to celebrate International Literacy Day with Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books by hosting an online interactive session for children aged between 3 and 10 years. 

Pratham Books' stories this year are Angry Akku written and illustrated by Vinayak Varma for younger kids, and The Girl Who Could Not Stop Laughing, written by Meera Ganapathi and illustrated by Rosh for older kids. 

Entry is free but registration is a must!  So do register here - https://forms.gle/SJZRvFnwwoGwaddA8   



The registered email ids will get Zoom meeting ID closer to the date. For any queries, contact pnlit.events@gmail.com .

Warmly,
Sapana
PNLIT Events Coordinator

Sunday, September 8, 2019

One Day, One Story 2019

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.




Vijaya set the pace rolling with a chugging railway song that set the children in energised motion to some snappy music, followed by an endearing story of adorable little Gappu and her foibles with dance steps. She just couldn’t get it right! Nobody is perfect!





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

Friday, August 30, 2019

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT at the lake

One Day, One Story the annual storytelling campaign of Pratham Books that celebrates International Literacy Day is Double the fun this year! And like the past few years, PNLIT is a part of this program.

This year there are two titles selected for the story telling event. 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.

Join an interactive storytelling session by Sonali Sathaye and Vijaya Balasubramaniam.

Venue - Gazebo, Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase, near MLR Convention Centre Brigade Millennium
Date & Time - 7th September (Saturday) 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Kindly assemble by 3:45 p.m.
Age group - 4 years and above
Entry is FREE
Register the participants by sending the details to pnlit.events@gmail.com. 



About the Storytellers
As an anthropologist, Sonali Sathaye sees theatre everywhere, including, most especially in the way we live our social lives. As a theatre practitioner, she seeks to share her enjoyment of this drama with children - so that they too may delight in the absurdity of the everyday.

Vijaya Balasubramaniam is a passionate dancer and loves to interact with children. Her passion for dance is superseded only by her love for greening this planet.

Looking forward to seeing you at the lake.
Please note that there will be no Family Fun Gardening Day at the lake on 7th September morning.


-Sapana
Event Co-ordinator PNLIT

Thursday, September 20, 2018

A Cloud of Trash @ Puttenahalli Lake

For the last seven years Pratham Books has been conducting 'One Day, One Story', an annual storytelling campaign that celebrates International Literacy Day on 8th September every year. 
PNLIT has been part of this campaign for the last five years!

This year the selected book was A Cloud of Trash written by Karanjeet Kaur and illustrated by Bhavana Vipparthi. Theatre practitioner and filmmaker Surabhi Herur narrated and enacted this story much to the joy of 25 young children and their parents and grandparents who had assembled at the lake.

Here is what Ms. Vijayalakshmi Kutty, who attended the storytelling session, had to say:
Who doesn't like a good story? The young to the elderly love to hear a well-told tale. The story telling session had young children enraptured with a modern tale about an everyday problem - garbage. Recited with flair, vigour and vivacity, by theatre savvy, Surabhi Herur, the session had the children intellectually, emotionally and physically engaged at every stage, to explore an existential problem and together find solutions for it. A Cloud of Trash tells the story of a young girl with a burdensome cloud of garbage floating above her head at every moment. And that is the worrisome  story of our cities today which has to be told to our young ones. Surabhi brought the engaging session to a close with a collective,symbolic pledge to keep our environment clean.


Here are some moments captured beautifully by Vishnupriya Hathwar and Deepa Mohan.












Thank you,
-Sapana

Friday, August 31, 2018

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT at Puttenahalli Lake


'One Day, One Story' the annual storytelling campaign of Pratham Books that celebrates International Literacy Day is back! And like the past few years, PNLIT is a part of this program.

This year's chosen book is A Cloud of Trash (written by Karanjeet Kaur, and illustrated by Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi). It’s a story about a little girl called Cheekoo, who has a cloud of trash hanging over her head. This makes her very, very unhappy. Slowly she realizes what she needs to do to get rid of this trash!

Join in an interactive storytelling session by Surabhi Herur to follow Cheekoo's story.

Venue - Gazebo, Puttenahalli Lake
Date & Time - September 8th (Saturday4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Kindly assemble by 3:45 p.m.
Age group - 5 years and above
Entry is FREE

About the Artist
Surabhi Jyotirmayee Herur is a theatre practitioner, filmmaker, facilitator and acting coach. With over fifty projects in drama and film, including hundreds of theatrical shows and many critically acclaimed performances to her credit, her expertise in the field comes from a keen observation of human behaviour and the diversity of experience that a career spanning the gamut of various forms of art and literature brings.

Looking forward to seeing you at the lake.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

On Kottavi Raja and Drum Jam

Story telling at the lake has always been a magical time both for us and the participants. We love to see the looks on the children's faces match the story teller's. The event on 9th September to celebrate International Literacy Day took the excitement to another level altogether. It combined story telling with drumming! 

(Pic: Madhu)

The heads were too many to count but we would put the figure to over 70 kids. As for adults ... Parents, grandparents, regular walkers at the lake, passersby ... This was the best attended event we've had at the lake so far!  We loved it especially because it drew people, young and old from the entire neighbourhood around the lake. 

Rather than we give an account, let's hear it from the participants. Here's what Madhu Sadhwani from Brigade Palmsprings had to say:

Today the Putanhalli Lake was all set to welcome the kids and parents for perfect combination of story telling and drum jam. Snehadhara team had high energy start for the story telling session with prayer to impress rain god by all kids.

Voice modulation to adjust the natural sound and Making melodies in my heart with perfect stretching to set the kids for story telling session. 

The Story on Yawning King was exciting for kids to share many ideas and make it creative and highly interactive.

Story session concluded with experience of the lake by all kids forming perfect chain and going around the beautiful Puttenahali Lake and singing songs.

Drum Jam was amazing for kids and parents to participate and synchronise with the groups. It was a great session that showed us coordination, concentration and fun can be achieved at the same time. 

All hail the king! (PIc: Snehadhara Foundation)

Pandering to his majesty (Pic: Snehadhara Foundation)

Here's another report from Sushmita, South City resident:  

"I loved it !!! It felt so amazing to play the drums, I thought It was really fun to make up beats and hear everyone play differently." is what my 9 year old daughter Zain has to say. 

I echo her feelings. It was indeed a really nice event at many levels. Adults and kids playing together, inviting and including the kids from the local neighbourhood, not only the gated community neighbourhood, but the kids who live around the lake in the little settlements who were as much a part of the event made it a really special community activity.

Thank you to PNLIT, Snehadhara, Pratham books and the Drumjam team for making this a fun and meaningful experience!

Drum jam (Pic: Snehadhara Foundation)

Drummers (Pic: Kalai Gautham)

Thanks indeed to Pratham Books  for their 'One Day, One Story' annual storytelling campaign. Snehadhara Foundation (as always you were brilliant) and our new associate, Community Drum Jam Foundation.  Special mention must be made of Chhaya, the whistler extraordinaire!  Her sharp clear whistles stood out above the drumming!  

Sleeping through it all! (Pic: Kalai Gautham)

We couldn't help noticing an infant sleeping blissfully on his father's shoulder completely oblivious of the raw energy so palpable throughout the evening. You wait, little one. Your turn to come to our lake for an event like this is not very far off!

Best
Usha



Saturday, September 2, 2017

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT, Snehadhara & Drum Circle

Join an interactive storytelling session which will be using voice, theatre and movement and participate in a drum circle where you will play on the drums, djembes and other percussion instruments!

Why?
Because 'One Day, One Story' the annual storytelling campaign of Pratham Books that runs around International Literacy Day is back! And like the past few years, PNLIT is a part of this program along with Snehadhara Foundation. Supporting Snehadhara this year is the Community Drum Jam Foundation (founded by Vasundhara Das and Roberto Narain).

What?
This year's chosen book is Kottavi Raja and his Sleepy Kingdom (written by Yasaswini Sampathkumar and illustrated by Henu). So travel to Kottavi Raja's land with Snehadhara and Community Drum Jam at Puttenahalli Lake to find out what happened there.

Where and How?
Venue - Gazebo, Puttenhalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Blr 560078
Date, Time - 9th September (Saturday) 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Kindly assemble by 4:20 p.m.
Age - 5 years and above
Entry is FREE


Register your child/children's name by sending an email to sapana_rawat@yahoo.com. We need to get a head count hence its very important that you register.

We look forward to seeing a whole bunch of children at the lake.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

About the International Literacy Day celebration

In a village called Adhania lives little Munia who cannot play like other children because she has a limp. She plays instead with the Elephant Bird who cannot fly. One day Vayu, the horse, disappears and the villagers blame the Elephant Bird for its disappearance. Well, the Elephant Bird is big enough to swallow a horse but did he swallow Vayu? Munia doesn't think so. She sets out to prove her friend's innocence. 

This story written by Arefa Tehsin, illustrated by Sonal Goyal and Sumit Sakhuja was the book chosen by Pratham Books for their  'One Day One Story'  campaign as part of the International Literacy Day.  

We used this opportunity to revive our story telling at the lake on Saturday 17th September. Are we happy we did! The children came in ones and twos and groups and soon the Gazebo was full of kids! A rough count showed about 65 young heads, the highest number ever for a story telling at our lake. Many of them had parents and/or grandparents with them. Some of the adults occupied the benches in the Gazebo, most of them stood outside. Their keen attention to the story telling was evident when they along with the children imitated the gestures of the story tellers! 

Inside and outside the gazebo

Breathing life into the story

The colours on our feet!

Snehadhara has a strong team of such talented story tellers who were enthused by the engrossed listeners, young and old. They brought the curious and brave Munia, the magical Elephant Bird and the suspicious villagers to life. The story ended but not the fun. 


Geetu and her team brought the kids to the open ground, got them to form a huge circle and everybody together played a couple of games. Then it was time to say good bye and disperse but very many of the children didn't want to leave! We didn't want them to leave either so we'll very soon organize another exciting event at the lake. Watch this space for the announcement! 

Bend your knees!

Hoola hoop game

Coming back to The Elephant Bird - the story may be fantasy but Elephant Birds did exist long ago in Madagascar. Read about them on wiki here.

If you would like to read the story to your child, please click on this link where you can access the book -  https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/1101-the-elephant-bird.

Usha

More photographs can be seen here.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Celebrating International Literacy Day @ Puttenahalli Lake

Have you heard of an Elephant Bird? Yes, it sure did exist once. Don't believe us? Come find out about it for yourselves.

International Literacy Day is today, 8th September. However, PNLIT will be celebrating it on 17th September, with "The Elephant Bird" chosen for this year's 'One Day One Story' campaign by Pratham Books. This story, about a magical bird and a brave child, is written by Arefa Tehsin, illustrated by Sonal Goyal and Sumit Sakhuja, and published by Pratham Books.


We will have the wonderful team from Snehadhara Foundation with us to sing, dance and narrate the touching story of "The Elephant Bird". 

When: Saturday 17th September 2016 @ 4:00 p.m.
Where: Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase (near South City/ MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium)
Entry: Free - All are welcome

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

How the Boy got his Drum at Puttenahalli Lake on 12th September

Thank god it didn't rain! We never thought we would say this but it was important that the early evening of Sat. 12th Sept remained nice and dry. "Keshavraju Thippaswamy" wanted a drum above everything else. Would he get it was the question in the minds of the 30 odd children who had gathered in the Gazebo at the Puttenahalli Lake in South Bengaluru. The occasion was a celebration, though a little delayed, of International Literacy Day with a story telling by Geetu and team from the Snehadhara Foundation in an event organized by PNLIT. As part of its One Day One Story campaign, Pratham Books had chosen the engaging tale of "The Boy and his drum" written by Umesh P N and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe.

Together with the Snehadhara team, PNLIT trustees and volunteers hung banners, spread durries on the floor and completed the arrangements for the fun to begin at 4.30 p.m.  But where were the kids? Except for the organizers' children, there were hardly any others! Once Geetu began the narration, however, children from the neighbourhood flocked in, their feet gathering speed when they heard the clapping, singing and loud laughter from the Gazebo. 

With Geetu and her friends becoming the characters in the play, no one in the slowly growing audience could remain aloof. Under the spell of the artists, they became Keshavraju, the cheerful, large hearted boy and his mother who gifts him with a piece of wood instead of the drum that he yearns for. The rapt audience became in turn the grandfather, the potter's wife, the washer man, the bridegroom and among others, even a horse all of whom he meets along the way. He gets his drum at last but the children and their parents didn't want the fun to end. The versatile artists obligingly led the group to sing a couple of songs together.













Literally shouting their thanks to Geetu and her friends and wishing that they get another opportunity soon, the children and their parents left with grins still plastered on their faces. 

For some the excitement of the story was heightened by walking around the lake and spotting birds before it became too dark. Six year old Niranjan resolved that he would come soon to see a bird's nest. If he also gets to hear Snehadhara tell another story, well, that would be the icing on his cake!

Here's hoping that for the next event at the lake, more children will join and that they will reach the venue on time. Punctuality is best taught in childhood!

Best regards
Usha