Bookaroo, the literature festival, fascinates children
KUCHING: The children’s literature festival ‘Bookaroo’ has carved out a name for itself in the seven years after it was set up in 2008 by a small, mad group of booklovers in New Delhi, India.
Now after seven editions in Delhi, three in Srinagar, and two in Pune, the much-loved festival has stepped beyond the Indian shores for its first international edition to Kuching.
True to the Bookaroo format, the festival kicked off on March 23 with its five- day long outreach programme, Pustaka Bookaroo in the City, where speakers have been scheduled to visit 18 schools in and around Kuching.
Last Monday, Kiew Boon Siew of Heart Treasures, UK-based Wendy Cooling and Golda Mowe of Sarawak visited SKJC Bintawa, SMK Sg Maong Trust, SMK Batu Lintang, and SK Combined Trust respectively. Around 50 Primary 6 students of SKJC Bintawa attended a recycle craft session titled “Junk for Joy”.
The session opened with a short story from a picture storybook about a grandmother who did not like to waste any single thing on the earth followed by recycling activities led by Kiew and Bong.
Wendy Cooling started her Pustaka Bookaroo in the City programme at SMK Sungai Maong with over 30 students in Form 2.
“Buzz into Books” was the focus along with “Honey that doesn’t stick”, “The stinkiest stink”, and “Buzzing around like bees”.
Stories and poems were shared from Icarus to Mr Stink all wrapped into the power of imagination and dreams from books. Some students shared their dreams and hopes of becoming a pilot.
“SMK Semerah Padi is very happy to have Pustaka Bookaroo in the City. Pustaka Bookaroo has set up a good start for bringing children and books together. The school is looking forward to be a part of Pustaka Bookaroo in the future,” said Umikalthom Ibrahim of SMK Semerah Padi.
Amanda Wolkin, an ETA teacher in the same school was as excited as the children attending the sessions.
“Growing up in the United States, I was so fortunate to be exposed to creative writing, reading and thinking throughout my education. That shaped me as a person. I feel so thankful that a programme as impactful as Pustaka Bookaroo is coming to Kuching so that students here can enjoy these creative activities,” she said.
On a hot steamy afternoon in SMK Batu Lintang’s auditorium, Golda Mowe took the young minds away from the heat and challenged them all to think about the books they had read and loved and to share their favourite titles with one another. They were reminded of classics like Gulliver’s Travels, Peter Pan and The Jungle Book.
“Books can change lives - they’ve changed mine - and creativity is everything. I am so glad that Pustaka Bookaroo has come to Kuching and that I can volunteer at such a fantastic event,” says Wolkin.
Ameen ul Haque, a storyteller from Bangalore, India, who is one of the speakers in Pustaka Bookaroo said: “Coming to Kuching for Pustaka Bookaroo is like going on a story pilgrimage. It promises to be a unique melting pot of stories and storytellers of myriad styles from various cultures and I am looking forward to both telling and listening.”