Children showcase creativity at SCRF
On day one of the 13th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), a large number of children of various age groups turned up at different creative workshop stations to showcase their skills and spend quality time under the guidance of professionals.
The 13th edition of the SCRF has started at the Expo Centre Sharjah. Children of all ages – adults included – are gearing up to step into a universe of unparalleled creative imagination with a vast expanse of books from 15 countries around the world.
From board books, interactive and picture books for toddlers to folklore, fairytales and new-age fantasy writing for young adults, SCRF 2022 offers a beautifully varied reading experience to readers.
Fiction and new-age writing, horror, mystery, and science fiction continue to enthral and develop imagination while books that explore STEM and language concepts are making learning fun and enhancing critical thinking skills.
Fancy a superhero book where your child is the hero? Head to Hekayati in Hall 4 to get a customisable book in Arabic or English and discover how to make your child feel special by becoming the hero of books that explore adventures in space, the oceans, and on the sports arena. Titles like Sophia on a Space Mission, Arjun – What Will You Be?, and Ahmed Elali: The Football Star also aptly celebrate the diversity of cultures in the UAE.
Iraq’s Masabeeh Publications, on the other hand, is targeting three key aspects of early childhood development with Floof and Friends – an educational flashcard game that aims to develop cognitive perception, emotional intelligence, and social skillsets through structured play.
The enduring popularity of board games holds sway at SCRF 2022 where fun, clever, portable games for the entire family and sophisticated strategy games for 2 players or more make a formidable presence at Back to Games General Trading in Hall 6. Choices abound from the best-selling Dobble or Spot It! to story cubes, award-winning Hive Carbon and action-packed, ultra-fast Happy Salmon.
Puzzles of all sizes and shapes can be picked up at several stands, and in keeping with the times, look out for Virus, described as “the most contagious card game” and Pandemic, where every player must work together to find cures for four deadly diseases. In a novel twist, all players win or lose together – as they try to save humanity!
An earlier report says the lively and inspiring Comics Corner will return once again to the 13th edition of Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) with a series of expert-led workshops and talks exploring the myriad aspects of comic book creation, from building visual elements and delighful characters to storytelling.
Held at Expo Centre Sharjah from May 11 – 22, SCRF’S Comics Corner will host leading experts from a cross-section of creative fields, including filmmaking and children’s literature, who will share the secrets of their crat with comic book fans and young creatives. Carrying the theme ‘Create Creativity’, SCRF 2022 is organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).
MASTERCLASS BY KYLE BALDA: Led by renowned Hollywood animator and director Kyle Balda, this exclusive masterclass is not to be missed. The Bafta-nominated master animator will share his expertise and experience of working on beloved contemporary classics including Jumanji, Despicable Me, Toy Story 2, Minions, Minions 2, The Lorax and more.
COMICS FUNDAMENTALS : Presented by Mouhamed Al Shaibani and Mouhamed Abdin, this three-part workshop introduces participants to the basic construction of a comic book page, from visual language and design decisions to the optimal number of panels to narrate a story effectively.
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW: The authors of the award-winning Sherlock Sam detective novel series, Adan Jimenez and Felicia Low-jimenez, will conduct three exciting writing workshops for children in the 7 – 12 age group.
Two elementary build-a-character workshops will teach participants how to create crimesolving sleuths and mysterious suspects as well as superheroes and dastardly villains, while children will learn the basics of crating a thrilling detective story, including characterisation, seting and plot, in a third two-hour session.
ENLIGHTENING TALKS FOR YOUNG WRITERS:
A.J. Low will enthral and enlighten budding writers at SCRF 2022 with a series of talks covering everything from the creative process of writing a story to the key components of crating a compelling character.
From interactive and picture books for toddlers to folklore and fairy tales, Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival has it all