A ball of a time

Art from the book by Kalp Sanghvi and Upamanyu Bhattacharyya

For children who continue to be bound at home due to the lockdown, here's something to look forward to. Dr Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) Museum has put together an exciting virtual reading session, with the aim to encourage and inspire young ones to fall in love with stories. The session will be helmed by author Ananya Dasgupta, and will entail a reading of her book Barefoot Kanu Nandu (Pratham Books). The event is the third edition in an ongoing series titled Read With Me, by the museum in collaboration with the publisher and has been conceptualised by their editor Shinibali Mitra Saigal. The book follows the journey of Kanu Dadu, a footballer who challenged norms by playing barefoot and is inspired by the author's uncle.

"We've been doing such sessions for a diverse set of age groups, in different languages as well. We wanted to have a session for children but encourage a love for books and the art of storytelling," says Ruta Waghmare, assistant curator at BDL.

The hour-long session will also be followed by an interactive Q&A. "We ask kids to engage and question us as well. Storytelling also makes children observant. Instead of engaging in increased screen time just for educational purposes, we thought this would be a creative way to aid their imagination," she adds.

On: August 14, 4 pm onwards
Log on to: bdlmuseum.myinstamojo.com/product/1226220/read-with-me-barefoot-kanu-dadu/
Cost: Rs 100