Museum of Solutions all set to host ‘Peek A Book’ Children’s Literature Festival

In Photo: Devika Cariapa (Left), Anand Neelakantan(Centre), Anushka Ravishankar(Right). Photo Courtesy: Museum of Solutions

Museum of Solutions (MuSo), a children's museum in Mumbai, is creating new and innovative reasons for children to visit a museum. It will host one of India's first Children's Literature Festival - Peek A Book, on Saturday, February 24, 2024.

Peek A Book will showcase some of the most relevant Indian children's books, that young readers can enjoy. It has been designed to help them disconnect themselves from their digital screens to explore and discover the world of books by well-known Indian illustrators and writers. Museum of Solutions aims to empower young children to explore various aspects of their life reflected through the world of books.

Peek A Book Children's Literature Festival at MuSo will also be a platform for the book tour of four well-known Indian children's authors to launch their new books in Mumbai.

In Photo: Ashok Rajagopalan. Photo Courtesy: Museum of Solutions

1. Children's author Ashok Rajagopalan will release his latest book and fifth part of the Gajapati Kulapati series, titled "Gajapati Kulapati Kweee!"
2. Award-winning children's author Anushka Ravishankar will launch the latest book in her series of "Smarty Pants".
3. Best-selling author Anand Neelakantan will unveil his new book, "Mahi The Elephant Who Flew Over the Blue Mountains."
4. Archaeologist and Sahitya Akademi Bal Puraskar Award winner Devika Cariapa will arrive in Mumbai with her new book, "A Children's History of India in 100 Objects."

Peek A Book Children's Literature Festival has been curated by children's writer Lubaina Bandukwala to offer a fun-filled and magical experience for Mumbai's children with a platform for books specifically by Indian children's authors to instil the habit of reading among the young. The unique festival will feature 16 sessions including authors and illustrators. Each session is designed to offer a diverse range of books to appeal to children between four-12 years.

According to Tanvi Jindal Shete, Founder of Museum of Solutions, "Our first Children's Literature Festival celebrates the art of storytelling while encouraging young kids to read, listen, and create new stories. MuSo's collaboration with Lubaina to host Peek A Book Children's Literature Festival will bring children closer to literature while inspiring creativity and empathy. I believe that India's rich immersive literature has the potential to empower our younger generation to imagine new possibilities and motivate them to change the world."

According to Lubaina Bandukwala, Peek A Book Festival Curator, "Peek A Book is all about opening up children's minds and creating curiosity about the world around them. I believe books are a starting point for all conversations on change and they can help our children become change agents to solve real-world problems. We are delighted that Peek A Book's goals find resonance in everything that MuSo aims to accomplish. We are pleased to be mission partners with them through the Children's Literature Festival."

Also Read: Shelf-Life with Mid-Day: 'My dream to meet Salman Khan brought me to Mumbai', says Bandra bookstore owner

Other Key Highlights of Peek A Book Children's Literature Festival At the Museum of Solutions include:

1. Bollywood Actor Soha Ali Khan will narrate stories to grade-schoolers. Soha's stories (written with Kunal Khemu) of two best friends - Inni, an ardent animal lover and Bobo, her scruffy-looking, floppy-eared puppy is a tale of friendship and kindness.

2. Award-winning children's author and climate crusader, Bijal Vachharajani will engage children with "When Fairyland Lost Its Magic," a witty, yet thoughtful look at the impact of climate change through reimagined fairy tales.

3. Chennai author, Vibha Batra will explore gender biases and difficult dreams with Chhau, a folk dance form

4. Ashifa Sarkar Vasi, founder of the Ballet Festival of India introduces children to ballet with the book Bunheads.

5. Vaishali Shroff will urge children to think out of the box and keep learning through the story of one of India's foremost woman sculptors, Meera Mukherjee.

6. Author Katie Bagli will organise fun games based on symbiotic relationships in nature. Through these games, Katie will help children discover how best buddies in the wild look out for each other.